Wafer prices fell in varying degrees this week. Among them, the average transaction price of P-type M10 mono wafers (182*182mm/150μm) remained unchanged at RMB 1.25/piece, unchanged week-on-week. The average transaction price of N-type G10L wafers (182*183.75 mm/130μm/256mm) dropped to RMB 1.15/piece, down 7.26% week-on-week. The average transaction price of N-type G12R wafers (182*210mm/130μm) dropped to RMB 1.5/piece, down 12.3% week-on-week. The average transaction price of P-type G12 wafers (210*210 mm/150μm) dropped to RMB 1.85/piece, down 2.63% week-on-week. The average transaction price of N-type G12 wafers (210*210 mm/150μm) was 1.9 yuan/piece, down 2.06% week-on-week.
On the supply side, wafer production is expected to drop to 60-61GW in May, and the overall companies in wafer segment is in a state of destocking. This week, a leading enterprise and several specialized enterprises once again slightly lowered the operating rate because the current wafer cash loss situation can not be maintained for a long time. So it is imperative for enterprises to reduce production in an orderly manner. The current wafer turnover inventory has a downward trend, and the expectation of destocking will still be maintained in June,. The industry has recently held an internal meeting to actively promote the healthy development and operation of the industry.
On the demand side, cell prices continued to decline, while module demand improved. On the cell side, the price of M10 mono-Si TOPCon cells fell to RMB 0.3/W, down 11.8% month-on-month. The recent international turmoil has pushed the prices of precious metals all the way up, which is reflected in the sharp rise in the cost of silver paste in the photovoltaic industry chain, therefore the price of auxiliary materials has squeezed the price of the main materials. On the module side, the price of 182mm TOPCon double-sided double-glass modules remained at RMB 0.86/W. According to the statistics of the National Energy Administration, the new installed capacity of domestic PV reached 14.37GW in April, a month-on-month increase of 59.3%, indicating that terminal demand has a warming trend.
This week, the operating rates of the two first-tier enterprises fell to 55% and 80% respectively. The operating rate of integrated enterprises is maintained between 60% and 80%, and the operating rate of the rest of enterprises is maintained between 50% and 70% respectively. According to the analysis of supply and demand, wafer prices are expected to be close to the bottom as wafer prices are at a critical juncture at the critical juncture of supply and demand, and raw material prices have stopped falling.
Source：China Silicon Industry
