SHANGHAI, Sept. 11 (SMM) – The average utilization rate at major domestic silicon metal producers fell 2.28 percentage points in August on a monthly basis, Shanghai Metals Market survey finds. 

The decline is due mainly to environmental protection inspections, according to SMM survey. The rate, up 0.80 percentage point YoY though, was 47.15 per cent in August, SMM survey shows. 

In Xinjiang, the average operation rate at local producers dropped 7.51 percentage points to 58.09 per cent. During the inspections period, one silicon metal producer suspended operations, and another four cut production, and the rest also lowered output to meet emission standards. There were also some producers, suffering no impact from the inspections, under normal production.   

In Sichuan, the rate fell by more than 10 percentage points MoM to 43.40 per cent in August, and the year-on-year decline was 20.45 percentage points. Silicon metal producers in Liangshan and Ya’an reported unstable production during the inspections period. In Liangshan, some producers hated operations and production in Ya’an did not recover until late August. Plants in A’ba and Leshan were required to suspend production for unit upgrading to meet environmental protection and noise reduction standards, with the number of on-line producers unchanged on a monthly basis.  

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