Silicon
The silicon material price continued to rise this week.
Seen from the demand, the downstream orders are sufficient, the operating rate of silicon wafer enterprises increases rapidly, and the purchase and reserve of silicon materials increase accordingly. In addition, the continuous release of silicon wafer expansion capacity has exacerbated the shortage of silicon material supply.
According to Solarbe Consulting, the supply may reach a new high in September. With the import volume, the silicon supply this month could reach about 53,000 tons, which can meet the demand of 18 GW silicon wafers production. With the inventory in August, it can meet the demand of 22 GW in total. In the case of increasing downstream orders, the silicon wafer link will increase procurement and further boost the silicon material price.
This week, the average price of monocrystalline recharging material was RMB 210,500 yuan/ton, up 1.20% month on month, 208,500 yuan/ton for polysilicon prime for mono, up 1.46% month on month, and 206,000 yuan/ton for polysilicon prime for multi, up 0.98% month on month. The average price of polycrystalline materials was 96,000 yuan/ton, up 4.35% month on month.
Wafer
The wafer price also maintained stable this week.
Driven by downstream demand, silicon wafer orders have increased. The operating rate recovered quickly in August, with an increase of nearly 30%. The rate of first-line enterprises is expected to be maintained at more than 80% in September due to the continuous orders. However, due to the limited supply of silicon materials, manufacturers with insufficient inventory may be forced to reduce the operating rate.
The average price of G1 wafer was RMB 4.91 yuan/piece, 5.04 yuan/piece for M6, 6.11 yuan/piece for M10, and 7.97 yuan/piece for G12, both without change. The average price of polysilicon wafer was RMB 1.96 yuan/piece, remained same.
Cell
The price of cells was basically stable this week. Except G1, the prices of other sizes of cells were the same as last week.
In terms of supply, there is a slight shortage of silicon wafers, and the cell enterprises showed a high enthusiasm for procurement. In terms of demand, due to cost pressure, the order volume has declined, but the demand heat has not decreased.
The average price of G1 cell was RMB 1.15 yuan/W, up 2.68% month on month, 1.05 yuan/W for M6, remained same, 1.05 yuan/W for M10, and 1.04 yuan/W for G12. The average price of polysilicon cell was RMB 0.74 yuan/W.
Module
The module price rose comprehensively this week.
There is limited space for module price increase. The price of silicon wafer and cell remained unchanged this week, but the module cost face great pressure.
Observing the auxiliary material, due to the shortage of EVA particles, even if the film enterprises run at full capacity, the supply is still tight, and the film price increased by 10-15%. It is understood that purchase rush appeared since it’s difficult for small and medium-sized module enterprises to purchase films. Due to the rising price and cost of soda ash, the price of small factories increased by RMB 1-2 yuan/m2. It is expected that the mainstream quotation will be fully raised in September, further increasing the cost pressure of modules.
The average price of 182-210mm monocrystalline modules this week was RMB 1.79 yuan/W, up 2.29% month on month; 1.76 yuan/W for 355-365/425-435W, up 2.33% month on month; and 1.69 yuan/W for 325-335/395-405W, up 0.90% month on month. The average price of polycrystalline 275-280/330-335W modules was RMB 1.56 yuan/W, up 0.65% month on month.
About Solarbe Consulting
Relying on Solarbe, the authoritative media in the photovoltaic industry, Solarbe Consulting focuses on data and industry research. It provides photovoltaic enterprises with market data, enterprise consulting, price trend, enterprise analysis, market research, customized report and other services, helping enterprises make correct decisions in sales, production, expansion and decision-making.
