Wacker starts polysilicon production at its Nünchritz site  

Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) has begun producing hyperpure polycrystalline silicon at its Nünchritz site, the Munich-based Group announced today. First deposition reactors at the new production complex have already ramped up production of high-quality polysilicon for sale. The full nominal capacity of some 15,000 metric tons (m.t.) annually is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2012. The start of production is three months earlier than Wacker’s very ambitious original timetable. All in all, Wacker has invested about €900 million in these new production facilities — creating more than 500 new jobs as a result. As previously announced, Wacker decided in March of this year to rise production output at the Nünchritz site from an initial target of 10,000 m.t./yr to 15,000 m.t./yr. This rise in capacity will be achieved by taking debottlenecking measures within the integrated production network at the site. Wacker’s entire polysilicon output, including that from Nünchritz, is almost completely under contract until the end of 2015. The new production complex utilizes highly integrated material flows. This means that manufacturing by-products are reprocessed and then…