Taiwan-based solar wafer maker Green Energy Technology (GET) has upgraded ingot slicing technology and will invest NT$50 million (US$1.67 million) to expand monthly production from over 30 million wafers to over 40 million in August, according to company CEO Lin Hur-lon, adding that wafer prices are likely to rise 3-5% in the second half of 2013 due to persistently tight supply.
Lin expects capacity to be full to the end of 2013 and expects the ASP of solar wafers to rise in the second half due to shortages. GET hopes to see a positive profit margin for solar wafers in the fourth quarter.
Lin added that the current punitive tariff rate set by the EU is only 11.8%, which is unlikely to affect China-based solar cell makers. Therefore, some solar cell makers in China have restarted operations, and demand for solar wafers has been growing. On the other hand, some China-based solar wafer makers have yet to restart operations due to a shortage of funding from banks, as solar wafer firms usually procure materials with cash.
GET has been operating at full capacity and total demand in Taiwan has been about 6-7GW. Hence the firm believes its 2GW of capacity will be full until the end of 2013.
Article translated by Jackie Chang
