The price of silicon wafers remained stable this week. M10 wafers (182 mm/150μm) were priced between CNY 6.22-6.5/piece, with an average transaction price of RMB 6.40/piece. The average transaction price for G12 wafers (210 mm/150μm) remained stable at CNY 8.2/piece over the week. The Silicon Industry Branch of China attributes the stable operation of wafer prices to a tight balance between supply and demand.
On the supply side, wafer supply was tight in April, with the share of n-type wafer shipments remaining stable.
However, maintenance at certain quartz sand producers has intensified the shortage of crucibles, resulting in reduced production efficiency for some companies without guaranteed supply agreements.
At present, specialized enterprises’ n-type wafer shipment proportion is approximately between 15% and 20%, due to the accelerated iteration of technologies. Manufacturers are predicted to adjust their product structure ratios based on actual demand.
On the demand side, the growth rate of n-type cell demand has slowed down, while module shipments have improved.
Regarding cells, low profit margins for p-type cells result in insufficient drive to produce and sell them. Recently, a leading cell manufacturer adjusted its prices. The M10 mono PERC cell was adjusted to CNY 1.09/W, a decrease of 5.22%.
On the module side, the prevailing order execution price is maintained between CNY 1.7-1.75/W, and some orders have fallen below CNY 1.7/W. However, as the second quarter begins, construction has gradually started on domestic and overseas projects, and module demand has begun to recover.
This week, the operating rates of two first-tier enterprises remained at 80% and 90%, respectively. Integrated enterprises maintained operating rates between 80% and 100%, while other enterprises maintained rates between 80% and 90%.
According to statistics, the export volume of mono wafers was 2.83 GW in February, which is a decrease of 0.7% compared to the previous month. In contrast, the export volume of polycrystalline silicon wafers increased to 0.2 GW, up by 5.26%.
In February, the export volume of modules was 14.88 GW, representing a 24.4% increase compared to the previous month.
