Wacker Chemie has started a feasibility study for the expansion of its silicon metal production capacity in Holla, Norway. The company plans to add a new furnace by end-2025 to increase output by 50%.

The Norwegian silicon metal plant was acquired by Wacker in 2010 and its output is transported by freighters from the company’s dock to Germany, where it is mainly used at the company’s Burghausen and Nünchritz silicone and polysilicon production sites.

The expansion project is in line with growing silicone and polysilicon demand.  Polysilicon demand used to be primarily in semiconductors, but now the lion’s share of demand comes from photovoltaics in the solar industry.  The solar industry is expected to continue to grow at double-digit rates over the 2020s, underpinning increased silicon metal capacity requirements to meet polysilicon demand.

The production of silicon metal is very energy intensive compared to ferroalloys, with amongst the highest energy consumption per ton of metal.   To reduce the product’s carbon footprint, Wacker has signed a supply agreement with Norwegian electricity producer Statkraft for hydropower to supply 40% of the plant’s energy demand.