Wacker Chemie AG is to exit from the solar wafer business and will transfer its shares in its joint venture Wacker Schott Solar GmbH (WSS) to its former partner Schott Solar AG.
Wacker said it will focus its solar activities from now on exclusively on its core competency which is the production of polycrystalline silicon. Schott Solar, on the other hand, concentrates on the downstream side of the photovoltaic value chain, the manufacturing of solar cells and modules. Already in the past, Schott Solar has absorbed the major part of WSS’s wafer production, the companies said.
All in all, Wacker Chemie AG is expecting from its share in WSS a non-recurring negative impact on pre-tax profit of about EUR 50 million as well as an increase in financial debt of some EUR 65 million.
“Focusing on hyperpure polysilicon production provides an excellent base for our long-term competitiveness and profitability,” said Wacker Group’s CEO Rudolf Staudigl. “In this field, we can play out our technology leadership and our strong market position with maximum impact.”
Wacker is currently the world’s second largest supplier of polysilicon for the solar and semiconductor industries and has under way an investment program for the expansion of its production capacities.
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