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Operating rates at silicon metal plants remained high year on year in January

iconFeb 11, 2021 08:00
Source:SMM
China produced 213,000 mt of silicon metal in January, 53,000 mt or 33.1% higher than January 2020.

SHANGHAI, Feb 11 (SMM) —Operating rates across Chinese silicon metal producers fell 5.4 percentage points on the month and up 12.3 percentage points on the year to 49.6%, showed an SMM survey. The reduction in output of silicon plants in Yunnan and Sichuan during the dry season was the main reason for the month-on-month decline in operating rates. Stimulated by the relatively high silicon prices, operating rates still maintained a relatively high growth year on year.

The silicon plants in Dehong and Nujiang in Yunnan successively reduced production in January, and operating rates in Yunnan fell 23 percentage points from the previous month to 22.8%. In addition to the seasonal reduction in production, Sichuan, another southwestern producing region, has different degrees of electricity restriction due to the shortage of electricity during the dry season. Nearly half of Sichuan's production capacity was unable to operate normally compared with December. Some factories limited the  electricity supply and kept furnaces warm, and others shut down the furnaces about one week. Operating rates in Sichuan fell 9.6% from the previous month to 24.8% in January.

During the CNY, most of the domestic silicon plants were in normal production, and Yunnan silicon plants continued to reduce production due to the reduction in electricity supply and the rise in electricity bills. SMM expects operating rates to fall to about 46% in February.

China produced 213,000 mt of silicon metal in January, 53,000 mt or 33.1% higher than a year earlier.

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