Antec: Silicon wafer prices rose significantly this week and are expected to continue the positive trend before the end of the month

The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to Antec statistics, silicon wafer prices increased significantly this week. The overall operating rate of the industry remained stable for the time being. The operating rates of the two first-tier companies were 50% and 48%, respectively. The operating rates of integrated enterprises ranged between 50% and 70%, while the rest of the companies remained between 50% and 72%. If prices are transmitted smoothly in the subsequent industrial chain, it is expected that the silicon wafer market will continue to improve before the end of the month.

Specifically, the average transaction price of N-type G10L monocrystalline silicon wafers (182*183.75mm/130 μm) was 1.2 yuan/sheet, up 2.56% from last week; the average transaction price of N-type G12R monocrystalline silicon wafers (182*210mm/130 μm) was 1.31 yuan/piece, up 9.17% from last week; N-type G12 monocrystalline silicon wafers (210*210 mm/130 μm) were all 1.52 yuan/sheet, up 1.33% from last week.

According to research, downstream battery prices have risen sharply this week compared to last week, and module prices have continued to operate steadily compared to last week. Among them, the mainstream battery price is 0.31-0.33 yuan/W, up 10.3% from last week, and the mainstream component price is 0.66-0.68 yuan/W, which is the same as last week.

A contraction in supply, a recovery in demand, and rising costs have all contributed to the continued upward trend in silicon wafer prices. First, various silicon wafer companies continue to implement plans to reduce production and burden. Production in December is expected to drop by about 5% compared to November. At the same time, most companies control the pace of sales, and the sell-off at low prices has basically disappeared. Second, the sharp rise in silver prices has driven downstream battery prices to continue to rise, battery companies' acceptance of the increase in silicon wafer prices has increased, and the number of high-price purchase orders has increased accordingly.

Furthermore, the price of polysilicon rose first this week. The transaction price increased by 1-2 yuan per kilogram compared to last week, and the cost of silicon wafers increased by 0.05 yuan/wafer, which provided some positive support for the increase in silicon wafer prices. 210R silicon wafers rose as high as 9.17% this week, becoming the leading variety. The main reasons include: on the one hand, the 210R price drop was large in the previous period, and this increase was a recovery from an overdrop; on the other hand, leading downstream battery companies have increased significantly in demand for this model.

Despite the rise in silicon wafer prices this week, the overall transaction scale is still limited, mainly because demand for terminals has not recovered significantly, component procurement is still a cautious strategy, and the upstream and downstream game atmosphere in the market is strong. Currently, silicon wafer companies generally adopt strategies to reduce production and stabilize prices.