Hmm....
“Solar has become a common-sense option for much of the U.S., and is too strong to be set back for long, even in light of the tariffs,” SEIA Chief Executive Officer Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement.

Kina vil spare landområder ved å bekle veiene med solceller. Dette testes nå ut på en del av en motorvei:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/business/energy-environment/china-solar-roads-renewables.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes

Markedet for monocrystalline silisium er forventet å øke 19,77% årlig på verdensbasis fra 2018 (1.479,80 MUSD i 2017) til 2023 (5.002,44 MUSD).

https://technologicalcritic.com/tech/global-monocrystalline-silicon-furnace-market-is-projected-to-exhibit-a-cagr-of-19-77-between-2018-and-2023/

Man kan få kjøpt overraskende mange rapporter på et google-søk. Svært ofte havner man hos en indisk autogenerert side hvor du skal få gleden av å kjøpe en rapport om nesten hva som helst.

Ingen av disse rapportene er spesielt seriøse. Det er som Nigeria-brev.

Solar installations in India rise by 34% in Q1

Solar installations in India increased by 34 per cent to 3,269 mw in the first quarter of 2018 compared with the fourth quarter of 2017, according to Mercom Communications.

"Q1 2018 was the best quarter on record for solar installations in India, with 3,269 MW, a 34 per cent increase compared to 2,448 MW installed in Q4 2017. Installations were also up when compared to the 2,991 MW installed in Q1 of 2017," Mercom Communications India said in a statement.

https://m.economictimes.com/industry/energy/power/solar-installations-in-india-rise-by-34-in-q1/amp_articleshow/64556599.cms?__twitter_impression=true

June 14 (Renewables Now) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KRX:005930) is getting ready to install solar panels and geothermal power plants at certain company sites as it just announced a commitment to source renewables for 100% of its operations in the US, Europe and China by 2020.
The Korean company said in a statement that it expects to be powering all of its factories, office buildings and operational facilities in the US, Europe and China with renewables by the end of the decade. Moreover, it plans to expand this effort around the world in the medium to long-term.
As an initial step, Samsung Electronics intends to install solar panels on an area of 42,000 sq m (452,084 sq ft) at its headquarters in Suwon this year. It will continue with solar and geothermal installations in 2019 for its Pyeongtaek campus and in 2020 for the Hwaseong campus.
The company pointed out that those projects should increase its use of renewable energy globally to match the equivalent amount of energy produced by an average 3.1-GW solar power plant by 2020.
In 2019, Samsung Electronics will begin work with its top 100 partner companies to assist them in setting their own renewable energy targets. The company has now joined the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Renewable Energy Buyers’ Principles and the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center, and said it expects to become part of the Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain Program next year.

How a Florida Utility Became the Global King of Green Power

NextEra became a renewable-energy Goliath using tax subsidies to help finance projects around the country and avoiding debt—staying quiet about it all

By Russell Gold
June 18, 2018 10:10 a.m. ET
83 COMMENTS

Who is the world’s largest operator of wind and solar farms? It’s also America’s most valuable power company. Still stumped? It’s by design.

“That is a marketing problem…that we foster intentionally,” Michael O’Sullivan, NextEra Energy Inc.’s head of renewable development, told University of Notre Dame students in 2015.

...

Fortsetter...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-florida-utility-became-the-global-king-of-green-power-1529331001

Global PV market to grow by another 621.7 GW by 2022, SolarPower Europe says

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2018/06/19/global-pv-market-to-grow-by-another-621-7-gw-by-2022-solarpower-europe-says/

Det er vel snart nesten bare det at solinnstråling varierer med vær og døgnrytme som begrenser interessen for PV-energi. Avgjørende for dens ubegrensede suksess er evnen til å lagre energi på en billig måte. Med stadig fallende batteripriser, bl a som følge av innføring av ny teknologi der også, vil kullkraft endelig endelig vippes av pinnen for godt. Det predikteres at i 2050 skal 50 % av elektrisistetsproduksjon skje vha sol- og vindenergi. Andre antyder 60 %. I tillegg vil mye av transportsektoren bli drevet av el.

https://www.pv-tech.org/news/falling-battery-costs-to-enable-wind-and-solar-generation-to-hit-50-globall

India’s utility solar capacity grows 72% in FY18: Report

BENGALURU: India's utility solar capacity grew by a whopping 72% in 2017-18 over the previous year, says solar consultancy Bridge To India in its latest annual report on the sector. It installed 9.1GW of utility solar against 5.5GW in 2016-17.
Total solar installation was 10.4GW, the rest comprising rooftop solar plants and off-grid solutions, taking the country’s cumulative solar capacity to 24.4GW.
Solar capacity addition in 2017-18 was higher than that of all other energy sources, both conventional and renewable, combined, the report notes. In comparison coal and wind only added 4.6GW and 1.7GW respectively.

Among the states, Karnataka added the most capacity at 4.1GW, which was 46% of total capacity installed in 2017-18. This also makes Karnataka the state with the largest commissioned solar capacity in the country, at 5.2GW. The report notes that the open access market in the state grew substantially because of favourable exemptions under its solar policy, but that these are being phased out from this year.
The second highest cumulative capacity was in Telangana (3.28GW), followed by Rajasthan (2.3GW), Andhra Pradesh (2.28GW) and Tamil Nadu (1.86GW).

Adani Green Energy, Renew Power and Acme Solar were the top three developers in 2017-18, installing a total capacity of 2.3GW between them, according to the study.
“Indian solar market has grown spectacularly over last four years. But we are still only at 24.4GW, way short of the 100GW target,” said Vinay Rustagi, Managing Director, Bridge to India.
The government had set the 100GW target in 2015, as part of an overall renewable energy target of 175GW for 2022. Recently, the new and renewable energy ministry announced it expects to surpass this target to reach 227GW, including 113.5GW of onshore solar and another 31GW of floating solar and wind.
The study, however, estimates that capacity addition will be lower in 2018-19 because of a slowdown in tender activity in late 2016 and early 2017. The majority of installations this year were driven by state government tenders. “While falling prices and government support have helped in boosting demand, supply side factors like land and transmission still remain a concern,” said Rustagi.
There is also the fear of safeguard duty being imposed on imported solar equipment, as the Directorate General of Trade Remedies examines a complaint from domestic manufacturers on the matter. In early January, a provisional safeguard duty of 70% for a period of 200 days had been suggested, but a final decision will be taken after a public hearing later this month.
As in previous years, rooftop solar installations have been lagging, says the report. Total rooftop capacity stood at 2.4GW as of March 2018, with around 1GW having been added in 2017-18, against a target of 40GW by 2022.
“Growth in rooftop solar slowed down marginally in the year due to GST and safeguard related uncertainty,” the study says.
“We have bid out 10,500 MW of solar projects this year, as against 5,000 MW in 2016-17,” said Anand Kumar had said to ET in March. “We have also brought solar tariffs down to affordable levels.”
Solar tariffs reached a record low of Rs 2.44 per unit at an auction held by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for 500 MW of projects at the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan in May 2017, but have been rising slowly since then. Even so, solar tariffs compare favourably with the cost of thermal power.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/indias-utility-solar-capacity-grows-72-in-fy18-report/articleshow/64675139.cms

Husker ikke om denne har vært postet av meg eller andre:

EU raises renewable energy targets to 32% by 2030

The EU is raising its target for the amount of energy it consumes from renewable sources, in a deal lauded by the bloc’s climate chief as a hard-won victory for the switch to clean energy.

Energy ministers agreed a binding renewable energy target of 32% by 2030, up from the previous goal of 27%, but fell short of the hopes of some countries and green groups for a more ambitious share.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jun/14/eu-raises-renewable-energy-targets-to-32-by-2030

It all raises an important and tricky question: is this the end of the line for solar subsidies?

China provides an illustration of the likely answer, which is that FITS may be disappearing but other subsidy-lite alternatives are taking their place. Analysts say China’s decision to scrap FITs follows a rise to about $15bn last year in the deficit in the subsidy fund earmarked for developers; plugging the gap would have strained public finances. As a result of this shortfall, solar developers were not getting the subsidies they were owed. As one industry insider puts it, everyone loves subsidies—but only when they get paid.

Paolo Frankl of the International Energy Agency, a global forecaster, notes that China had recently begun to experiment, via a programme called “Top runner”, with an alternative to FITs that is gaining popularity internationally. This is a reverse auction in which solar developers that offer to build and run projects most cheaply win. The price they bid is what they will charge in long-term power-purchase agreements (PPAs) for the electricity they generate. Such reverse-auction PPAs have produced startlingly low bids in sunny places from Arizona and Nevada to Mexico, Abu Dhabi and India. In China recent PPAs sharply undercut the FITs, he says. One even beat coal-fired power. Hence China’s aim to encourage more of such auctions to make solar, on the face of it, subsidy-free. The benefits could be significant in China. Lower prices of panels as a result of a temporary glut will encourage more aggressive bids, saving the government money and making solar more competitive against coal.
China’s move—though it will stall new solar installations for a while—may nonetheless make the global industry healthier over time. The shift may hasten consolidation in the industry in China, bringing the four main manufacturing components, polysilicon, wafer, cell and panels, under one roof, as they are at Jinko.https://www.economist.com/business/2018/06/14/can-the-solar-industry-survive-without-subsidies

India eyeing a new monster 100GW solar-capacity goal

Earlier this week, India's energy minister R.K. Singh suggested that the country is considering issuing a tender for 100 gigawatts of solar energy. PV Tech confirmed the report, which added that the tender could be tied to solar panel-manufacturing buildout. In 2015, India set a goal to reach 100GW of solar capacity as part of its larger aim of 175GW of renewable energy in general by 2022. This latest 100GW tender would be for a 2030 or 2035 target.

The existing goal is ambitious, so a stretch goal further into the future is even more so. The country's current total solar capacity is just 24.4GW, according to The Economic Times. (For context, as of this month the US has about 55.9GW of installed solar capacity total.) But although the solar sector there is still small compared to the US, it's growing quickly. Utility-scale solar capacity grew by 72 percent in the previous year, The Economic Times noted.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/06/india-eyeing-a-new-monster-100gw-solar-capacity-goal/

2,000MW solar power by 2022

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/2000mw-solar-power-by-2022/articleshow/64723890.cms

Australia: 1/3 av elektrisiteten vil komme fra fornybart innen 2020
Mai var rekordmåned for PV: 131 MW fra rooftop er ny rekord. Det samme er 19.000 monterte takanlegg.

...

- "This represents almost a doubling in renewables share compared to 2015 when it met 17.3 per cent of annual electricity consumption," GEM director Tristan Edis said.

- "Even if contracting and construction commitments to solar farms and wind farms halted from today, ongoing installations of rooftop solar should see renewables share reaching 39 per cent by 2030," he said.

Record month for PV

GEM's forecast comes on top of another record month for small-scale rooftop photo-voltaic (PV) installation.

Almost 19,000 rooftop PV systems were installed across Australia in May.

Mr Edis said new units in May alone would add up to bill savings of about $233 million over 10 years.

The 131 megawatts (MW) of rooftop solar PV registered in May was also new monthly record.

Large-scale renewable pipeline growing
Mr Edis said his forecast for renewables accounting for about 40 per cent of generation by 2030 substantially exceeded the emission reduction ambition within the NEG.

Modelling for the Energy Security Board estimated the emission target would be achieved with 36 per cent renewables' share.

However, even those figures may be conservative, with the pipeline of renewable projects waiting for approval capable of supplying 85 per cent of the NEM's demand by 2030.

"Since the political uncertainty over the Renewable Energy Target was resolved, project developers have been incredibly busy identifying and gaining development approval for new wind and solar farms around the country," Mr Edis said.

By 2050, renewables supply 87% of electricity in Europe, 55% in the U.S., 62% in China and 75% in India.

Europe
Europe shows that renewable energy can reach very high penetration at a low cost. By 2050, renewables make up 87% of the electricity mix, with wind and solar playing a dominant role.

Cheap renewables, flexible demand and batteries combine to shift the European power system away from fossil fuels and nuclear to one built around variable renewables and emissions-free energy.

Germany
Germany sees rapid change to 2025 with coal and gas generation falling 29%, nuclear phased-out and renewables topping 70% of generation.

Battery deployment helps renewables reach higher penetration but, in the absence of policy intervention, cheap lignite is likely to remain in place.

By 2050, Germany is running on 74% wind and solar, and 84% renewables, but it has the highest emissions in Europe.

U.K.
The U.K.'s plan to close its remaining coal-fired power stations by 2025 reduces the role of fossil fuels in generation to 12% by 2030.

At the same time, growth in high capacity factor offshore wind pushes renewables up to 73% of generation. By 2050, the U.K. has added 158GW of wind and solar, as well as 49GW of batteries and renewables provide 83% of generation.

U.S.
The U.S. electricity system continues to replace aging coal and nuclear with cheaper gas and renewable resources, assuming there is no lasting federal policy intervention to prevent their retirement.

Coal and nuclear are pushed out by age and economics, such that by 2050 both nuclear and coal have almost disappeared from the electricity mix. We do not anticipate a U.S. nuclear renaissance with the current technology.

Batteries grow in significance from around 2030, supporting renewables penetration, which reaches 55% in 2050. In that year, emissions are 58% lower than they are today.

China
China sees peak coal generation and peak emissions in 2030, as the world’s biggest electricity system reaches 39% renewables penetration with 23GW of batteries.

China will continue to be the largest market for wind and solar, which grow from 7% to 46% combined of total generation by 2050.

By that time China has 1.1TW of solar PV and 1TW of wind – equivalent to 21% of all the PV and a third of all the wind power installed globally.

India
India has the cheapest new wind and solar anywhere in the world. This poses a profound challenge to the orthodoxy there that coal is forever king.

While we expect coal-fired electricity to continue to grow in India in the short to medium term, by 2050 wind and solar dominate, supported by batteries and flexible gas. This pushes India’s emissions 22% below what they are today.

While we expect coal-fired electricity to continue to grow in India in the short to medium term, by 2050 wind and solar dominate, supported by batteries and flexible gas. This pushes India’s emissions 22% below what they are today.

Japan
Japan's electricity system remains relatively coal-heavy for much of the next 33 years, even as strong renewables growth and nuclear restarts squeeze gas out of the mix.

By 2050, renewables account for almost three quarters of electricity generation, with PV supplying 43%, up from 6% today.

Negative demand growth and strong consumer uptake of small-scale PV and batteries make Japan one of the more decentralized power systems in the world, with 34% of installed capacity behind-the-meter.

Australia
Australia's power system is on track to become one of the two most decentralized in the world, with consumer PV and behind-the-meter batteries making up 44% of all capacity.

This represents a dramatic turnaround from the largely coal-fired system of today.

This represents a dramatic turnaround from the largely coal-fired system of today.

Wind, PV and batteries form the backbone of this new system, where coal has all but disappeared.

South Korea
South Korea's generation mix shifts from 72% coal and nuclear in 2017 to 71% gas and renewables in 2050.

Utility-scale batteries and peaker gas plants become a crucial part of Korea’s future power system, supporting growing offshore wind and PV, as the country’s aging coal and nuclear plant retire.

Hele rapporten:
https://about.bnef.com/new-energy-outlook/

Solar PV and wind are now cheaper than new-build coal power plants, even without carbon capture and storage. Unsubsidised contracts for wind projects in Australia have recently been signed for less than $55 per MWh, and PV electricity is being produced from very large-scale plants at $30-50 per MWh around the world.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-27/new-coal-doesnt-stack-up-just-look-at-queensland/9913882

Jaja, Bare å selge.. ser ut for at sol neppe er fremtiden..s

Litt på siden, men: Oljegigant BP kjøper opp Storbritannias største ladenettverk for elektriske kjøretøy. Sier litt om hvordan oljeindustrien må tenke nytt.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/28/bp-to-buy-uks-largest-electric-vehicle-charging-business.html

The global Polysilicon market is valued at 2160 million US$ in 2017 and will reach 3410 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.9% during 2018-2025.

http://anni-qyresearch.blog.jp/archives/10444970.html

Insurance giant stops covering firms that depend on coal

Fossil fuels are quickly becoming a liability.

The elimination of coal power isn't just good for the environment... it's quickly becoming good for the corporate bottom line. Insurance giant Swiss Re has enacted a policy that refuses coverage to any company that either generates 30 percent or more of its revenue from coal power, or uses at least 30 percent coal power to run its operations. Swiss Re touted the move as reflecting its commitment to limiting global warming (it made a pledge in 2015 alongside the Paris climate accord), but it also casts this as a shrewd business move.

The insurer noted that it's trying to "minimize sustainability risks." Lower emissions and renewable energy are simply better for its business -- it's less likely to pay out if it keeps climate change and pollution (not to mention use of finite resources) in check. Likewise, it sees investing in solar and wind power as ways of driving down its risks.

This isn't the first insurance company to back away from coal. Earther pointed out that insurers like Allianz and Dai-ichi Life Insurance have also dropped support for coal-dependent clients. However, this latest move could increase the pressure on companies to ditch fossil fuels even if they don't see the environmental benefit. If they want insurance, they might not have much of a choice.

https://www.engadget.com/2018/07/08/insurance-giant-stops-covering-firms-that-depend-on-coal/

Litt på kanten, men:

CEO i Shell ønsker å fremskynde forbud mot bensin- og dieselbiler i Storbritannia fra 2040 til en tidligere dato.

http://www.businessinsider.com/shell-ceo-calls-for-2040-ban-on-new-petrol-car-sales-to-be-bought-forward-2018-7

Clean energy is catching up to natural gas

The natural gas “bridge” to sustainability may be shorter than expected.

https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/7/13/17551878/natural-gas-markets-renewable-energy

Mexico's Largest Solar Park Will Provide Electricity To 1.3 Million Homes

World Agence France-Presse

The stretch of sand in the state of Coahuila is the spot for Italian energy giant to build the power plant which includes 2.3 million solar panels.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/latin-americas-largest-solar-park-turns-mexican-desert-green-1882582

REC's wafer-kunder omstiller seg nå:

https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180716PD205.html

*liker ikke*

Europe's first solar panel recycling plant opens in France

French water and waste group Veolia has opened what it says is Europe's first recycling plant for solar panels and aims to build more as thousands of tonnes of ageing solar panels are set to reach the end of their life in coming years.

The new plant in Rousset, southern France, has a contract with solar industry recycling organization PV Cycle France to recycle 1,300 tonnes of solar panels in 2018 - virtually all solar panels that will reach their end of life in France this year - and is set to ramp up to 4,000 tonnes by 2022.

"This is the first dedicated solar panel recycling plant in Europe, possibly in the world," Gilles Carsuzaa, head of electronics recycling at Veolia, told reporters.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-solar-recycling/europes-first-solar-panel-recycling-plant-opens-in-france-idUSKBN1JL28Z

This Untapped Market Could Add 320 Gigawatts Of New U.S. Residential Solar Energy

https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2018/04/23/this-untapped-market-could-add-320-gigawatts-of-new-u-s-residential-solar-energy/

India:

Earlier this week, India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) recommended a two-year safeguard duty on solar cells and modules imported from China and Malaysia, of between 15-25%.

Reactions to the news have been, on the whole, very negative, with industry observers stating that the proposed move could hinder India’s ambitious solar plans by driving up the cost of solar power in India 15-30%.

A number of analysts and companies in India that spoke to pv magazine following the announcement said that the two-year period of the recommended safeguard duty is very short, discouraging any investment in setting up new solar manufacturing capacity. Moreover, for solar project developers, the duty will impact tariffs to the tune of 12-15%, posing an immediate threat to viability of projects under execution.

EU MIP decision

What is expected to have a bigger impact on the Indian solar market, however, is Europe’s decision on minimum import prices (MIPs) currently applied to Chinese PV importers to the EU, and which are set to expire this September 3.

If they expire, TrendForce forecasts that Vietnamese and Thai suppliers will fill the gap left in the Indian market by Chinese exporters, which will again concentrate on the EU market. Under this scenario, competition would be intensified, it says, thus driving down module prices, and potentially stimulating growth of non-subsidy PV projects. “Taiwanese and Malaysian suppliers,” meanwhile, “will face competition from Chinese counterparts in Europe and from third-party suppliers in India.”

If they are extended, on the other hand, third party suppliers would ship to both locations, and “pose strong competition to Chinese suppliers in India.”

Originally, the MIP was set to expire in March 2017. However, it was extended by a further 18 months. In the latest news on the matter, last month, it now appears likely that a new request for a review of the MIP undertaking has been submitted to the EU Commission in Brussels on June 3. If confirmed, the request may prevent the existing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties from expiring on September 3.

The majority of the industry is against the tariffs, having long called for their removal. Most recently, in a letter to European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker at the end of May, more than 250 organizations and companies from EU member states called for the termination of the trade restrictions applied to Chinese PV manufacturers.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2018/07/19/eu-mip-decision-to-have-more-effect-on-indian-pv-market-than-safeguard-tariffs/

The roiled solar power market shows how Trump's tariffs can disrupt an industry

A 30% U.S. tariff on imported solar panels put in place last winter should have caused prices here to jump.

But when tariffs are unleashed, as businesses are learning, things don’t always go as expected.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-tariffs-20180707-story.html

Enligt senaste PV Magazine USA, öppnas 2 fabriker för solpaneler i USA- Vem tror ni köper dem polysilicon av?
Heliene retools its Minnesota module factory

The Canadian PV maker is planning to reopen its factory in Northern Minnesota in August, and another factory in Oregon later this year.

Enligt senaste PV Magazine USA, öppnas 2 fabriker för solpaneler i USA- Vem tror ni köper dem polysilicon av?
Heliene retools its Minnesota module factory

The Canadian PV maker is planning to reopen its factory in Northern Minnesota in August, and another factory in Oregon later this year.

Spennende, men de kjøper ikke polysil direkte, bare halvfabrikata i form av celler/wafers. Så spørs det hvem i USA eller andre steder som leverer dette, og hvor de får deres råstoff polysilicon fra...

De kjøper nok ferdige celler fra Jinko Solar. Heliene er partner med Jinko fra gammelt av, og har produsert Jinko's moduler i Canada nettopp for å tilfredstille Canadas krav om lokalproduksjon.

Kinesiske selskap utnytter slike muligheter for å få størst mulig avsetning. På den måten har de tilnærmet monopol på ingot og waferproduksjon innen PV-bransjen.

India’s investments in renewable energy are growing faster than even China’s

China may be the world’s renewable energy leader, but where the sector’s growth is concerned, India is leaving its neighbour behind.

Investments into clean energy in India rose 22% in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period last year, while investments by China fell 15% during the period, according to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (NEF). At this rate, India is expected to overtake China and become the largest growth market by the late 2020s.

https://qz.com/1323902/indias-investments-in-renewable-energy-are-growing-faster-than-even-chinas/

Is The Solar Industry Really In Trouble?

By Irina Slav - Jul 24, 2018, 6:00 PM CDT
solar park

Last week Goldman Sachs ruined the mood of many in the solar industry—at least of those who pay attention to investment bank forecasts—by projecting that the solar panel market will shrink this year by 24 percent. It’s not the only negative forecast either, which is understandable given the latest major developments in the sector. However, the market may be getting carried away with just how much suffering the solar industry will face.

...

The fact is that the solar industry won’t stop growing, despite tariffs and the suspension of new projects in the world’s biggest solar market. These developments could slow down its growth for a while, but with more and more players entering the solar field any negative effects would be temporary. It’s worth noting that BNEF also forecast that China’s role in the global solar market will decline in the medium term and it will account for only 25 percent of new installations in 2020, down from more than half in 2017.

https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Solar-Energy/Is-The-Solar-Industry-Really-In-Trouble.html

Wacker gjør det bedre enn peers!!
Wacker har lenge vært min drømme beiler til Rec bruden:-)
26/07-2018 07:14:01: (E-WCHD.BTSE) DGAP-News: Wacker Chemie AG: WACKER's Sales and Earnings Rise in Q2 2018 Amid Strong Performance in Chemicals








DGAP-News: Wacker Chemie AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results/Interim Report




Wacker Chemie AG: WACKER's Sales and Earnings Rise in Q2 2018 Amid Strong Performance in Chemicals



26.07.2018 / 07:14






The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.




- GROUP SALES CLIMB TO EUR1.33 BILLION, 9 PERCENT HIGHER BOTH YEAR OVER YEAR AND QUARTER OVER QUARTER





- EBITDA REACHES EUR261 MILLION, UP 3 PERCENT VERSUS LAST YEAR AND 2 PERCENT VERSUS A QUARTER AGO





- NET INCOME FOR Q2 2018 AMOUNTS TO EUR84 MILLION





- FULL-YEAR FORECAST UNCHANGED: GROUP SALES FOR 2018 EXPECTED TO GROW BY A LOW-SINGLE-DIGIT PERCENTAGE, WITH EBITDA LIKELY TO RISE BY A MID-SINGLE-DIGIT PERCENTAGE





Munich, July 26, 2018 - Thanks to the strong performance of its chemical business, Wacker Chemie AG's sales and EBITDA continued to grow in the second quarter of 2018, both year over year and quarter over quarter. The Munich-based chemical company posted sales of EUR1,329.9 million in the reporting quarter (Q2 2017: EUR1,218.3 million). That was an increase of 9 percent. Sales were lifted by better prices, especially for silicone products, by volume growth for chemical products and by positive effects from the chemical-product mix. Exchange-rate headwinds, though, slowed the sales trend, with the euro appreciating strongly year over year. Relative to a quarter ago (EUR1,217.6 million), the sales increase was also 9 percent.





WACKER generated EBITDA of EUR260.5 million in Q2 2018. That was 3 percent more than a year ago (EUR253.4 million) and 2 percent more than a quarter ago (EUR254.5 million). Growth drivers were better prices for chemical products and higher income from the stake in Siltronic. As a result, WACKER more than compensated for raw-material costs, which increased markedly both year over year and quarter over quarter. High plant utilization was another positive factor in earnings performance in the reporting quarter. The Group's EBITDA margin for Q2 2018 was 19.6 percent (Q2 2017: 20.8 percent). In the preceding quarter, it was 20.9 percent. Group earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) amounted to EUR125.0 million in Q2 2018 (Q2 2017: EUR101.9 million), yielding an EBIT margin of 9.4 percent (Q2 2017: 8.4 percent). Net income for the reporting quarter amounted to EUR83.5 million (Q2 2017: EUR60.5 million) and earnings per share came in at EUR1.59 (Q2 2017: EUR1.17).





The full-year 2018 forecast for sales and earnings as published in the 2017 Annual Report remains unchanged. WACKER continues to expect that Group sales will grow by a low-single-digit percentage relative to last year (EUR4,924.2 million). EBITDA is likely to rise by a mid-single-digit percentage compared with last year (EUR1,014.1 million). WACKER expects Group net income from continuing operations to rise markedly.





"After the first six months of the year, we are firmly on track to achieve our full-year targets," said Group CEO Rudolf Staudigl in Munich on Thursday. "Our chemical portfolio is currently performing very well and customer demand for silicones, in particular, is very high. In this market environment, we are posting volume growth with specialty products and achieving substantial price increases for standard silicones. The intensifying trade dispute between the USA and both China and the EU poses a significant risk to the global economy. In addition, markedly higher raw-material costs reduce our earnings. On the other hand, our chemical business is performing considerably better than anticipated at the start of the year. The first six months have delivered a good basis for WACKER's development in the current year. Provided there is no economic downturn, we could outperform our current full-year earnings forecast."





Regions





In Q2 2018, WACKER continued growing its sales in every region. The biggest increase was in Asia, where sales rose 13 percent to EUR495.7 million (Q2 2017: EUR440.3 million). Sales in Europe reached EUR543.2 million, up 7 percent over last year's figure of EUR506.0 million. In the Americas, sales reached EUR223.7 million (Q2 2017: EUR214.2 million), an increase of 4 percent.





Capital Expenditures and Net Cash Flow





In Q2 2018, the Group's capital expenditures came in at EUR97.7 million (Q2 2017: EUR74.8 million), up 31 percent year over year. The funds went mainly toward expanding capacity for silicone and polymer products. In addition, WACKER acquired a production site for biologics in Amsterdam (Netherlands) in April.





Net cash flow totaled EUR-101.4 million in Q2 2018 (Q2 2017: EUR93.9 million). This marked decline was mainly attributable to substantially higher cash outflows for capital expenditures and acquisitions, higher variable-compensation payments, repair and ramp-up costs at WACKER's Charleston site, and the increase in working capital due to rising business volumes.





Employees





WACKER's global workforce edged up in the reporting quarter. The Group had 14,270 employees as of June 30, 2018 (March 31, 2018: 13,983). At the end of the reporting quarter, 10,156 employees (March 31, 2018: 10,076) worked at WACKER sites in Germany and 4,114 (March 31, 2018: 3,907) at international locations.





Business Divisions





WACKER SILICONES generated total sales of EUR653.8 million in Q2 2018 (Q2 2017: EUR548.7 million), up 19 percent. Growth was driven by better prices for silicone products, coupled with higher volumes and an enhanced product mix. Relative to a quarter ago (EUR605.8 million), WACKER SILICONES' sales rose 8 percent. The division's reporting-quarter EBITDA of EUR176.6 million was 59 percent above the year-earlier figure (EUR110.8 million). Versus a quarter ago (EUR148.5 million), the increase was 19 percent. Earnings benefited from not only sales growth, but also product-mix effects and generally high production output. The EBITDA margin improved to 27.0 percent in Q2 2018, after 20.2 percent in Q2 2017 and 24.5 percent a quarter ago.





Sales at WACKER POLYMERS totaled EUR343.1 million in the reporting quarter, 2 percent higher than a year ago (EUR335.3 million). This slight increase was due to better prices and to volumes that were somewhat higher on balance. Compared with the preceding quarter (EUR301.9 million), sales were up 14 percent, mainly due to volume growth. The division's EBITDA amounted to EUR32.6 million in Q2 2018, after EUR62.4 million a year ago. This 48 percent decline stemmed mainly from substantially higher raw-material costs. In order to counter this development, the division is raising the prices of its products. Compared with a quarter ago (EUR41.9 million), EBITDA was down 22 percent. Aside from higher prices for the raw materials vinyl acetate monomer and ethylene, a scheduled plant shutdown for maintenance also lowered earnings. The reporting-quarter EBITDA margin was 9.5 percent, after 18.6 percent the year before and 13.9 percent a quarter ago.





WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS posted total sales of EUR57.2 million in Q2 2018, up 11 percent versus a year ago (EUR51.4 million). The increase was mainly driven by volume growth and better prices for some products. Compared with a quarter ago (EUR54.3 million), the division's sales were up 5 percent. WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS' reporting-quarter EBITDA of EUR5.4 million was 41 percent below the year-ago figure (EUR9.1 million) and 47 percent lower than the preceding quarter (EUR10.1 million). Factors in this decline included not only higher raw-material costs, but also integration costs and still-low utilization rates at the newly acquired biologics plant in the Netherlands. The EBITDA margin was 9.4 percent, after 17.7 percent last year and 18.6 percent in Q1 2018.





WACKER POLYSILICON generated total sales of EUR242.1 million in the reporting quarter. That was 2 percent less than a year ago (EUR246.7 million). The main reason for the slight decrease was that volumes and average prices were somewhat lower. Sales were up 10 percent relative to the preceding quarter (EUR219.3 million), driven mainly by substantial volume growth. This enabled the division to more than compensate for average polysilicon prices that were generally lower on balance than a quarter ago. WACKER POLYSILICON's reporting-quarter EBITDA came in at EUR39.1 million, down 45 percent compared with a year ago (EUR71.3 million). The decrease was mainly due to ramp costs at Charleston, where production facilities are gradually coming on stream again. EBITDA contracted relative to a quarter ago (EUR48.2 million) as well, with the 19 percent decrease additionally attributable to lower prices. No insurance compensation for the business interruption loss at Charleston was booked in the entire first half of 2018. From April through June 2018, WACKER POLYSILICON's EBITDA margin amounted to 16.2 percent, after 28.9 percent in Q2 2017 and 22.0 percent in Q1 2018.





Outlook





WACKER described in detail its projections for the Group's performance this year in the Outlook section of its 2017 Annual Report. These projections have changed as follows:





Net financial debt is now expected to amount to around EUR500 million by year-end 2018, partly due to exchange-rate effects. WACKER had previously assumed that its net financial debt would be on par with last year (EUR454.4 million). According to current estimates, the Group's full-year capital expenditures will come in at around EUR450 million (2017 Annual Report: around EUR470 million).





Due to strong customer demand, WACKER SILICONES is likely to achieve an even more substantial increase in sales and EBITDA for full-year 2018 than was projected on publication of the 2017 Annual Report. The division now expects to post s

Forskjellen på REC og WACKER
WACKER har kunder og en driftig ledelse.

To vesentlige forskjeller mellom REC og Wacker er at Wacker lever godt på høy renhet i sin polysilisium som passer monowaferprodusenter akkurat nå. I tillegg har de fått særbehandling av kinesiske myndigheter knyttet til prising av sin poly.

Akkurat det motsatte er REC i Moses Lakes sin ulempe: ikke mono-poly samt 57 % toll ved eksport til Kina.

MEN Wacker polysilisiumsdivisjon sliter også med stigende negativ EBIT, og bidrar negativt til et ellers glitrende konsernresultat. Riktignok før vi får se noe til forsikringsutbetaling sfa gassulykken i Tennessee i fjor.

Les denne!! https://www.hegnar.no/Nyheter/Politikk/2018/07/Stemte-for-aa-redusere-toll-paa-kinesiske-varer
Ligger i kortene at det blir en avtale mellom Kina og USA slik det gjorde med USA og EU....!

Meget int. denne også : http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/local_news/20180724/legislators_urge_trump_to_aid_rec_silicon

Kan bli "the mother of all short squeezes" i REC nå...:-)

Australia:

“This is huge” – rule changes to boost solar PV and batteries

https://reneweconomy.com.au/this-is-huge-rule-changes-to-boost-solar-pv-and-batteries-99826/

Taiwanesiske wafer-produsenter kjørt på felgen har nå skjønt at de må ta opp kampen med de kinesiske:

https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180726PD200.html

REC's storkunde GET i Taiwan øker takten igjen:
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180725PD214.html

JBG,
Jeg mente ikke Wacker og Rec er like men har i lang tid ment at de passer som hånd i hanske sammen. Synergi effekten kunne blitt mega. Med finans musklene til Wacker og tysk kvalitet sammen med REC
Sin teknologi er bare gull. Det er der Rec ledelsen skulle gått på frierferd:-)

Fra artikkelen: "The stagnant demand in June enabled GET to secure low-cost polysilicon supply, which has allowed it to take orders at lower prices, and helped shore up its utilization rates."
Dette stemmer bra med det TT sa på Q2, at REC hadde spurt hva kunden var i stand til å betale, for å holde hjulene i gang. Vi vet derfor at for mye av leveransene som skjer i Q3, vil REC blø cash, men hvis salg fra lager tar seg opp, og til bedre priser, kan det oppveie litt. Hvis Q4 og 2019 blir bra, kan denne strategien alt i alt lønne seg, ved at de beholder nøkkelpersonell, og slipper å stenge ned alt.

MUCH OF THE US ELECTRIC GRID COULD GO THE WAY OF THE LANDLINE PHONE

https://www.wired.com/story/electric-grid-rising-costs-renewables

UK:
Subsidies for new household solar panels to end next year

Renewable energy installations will no longer benefit from feed-in tariff, ministers confirm

The renewables industry and green groups have accused ministers of striking a major blow against household solar power after the government said a green energy subsidy scheme would end next year without a replacement.

The closure of the feed-in tariff (FIT) to new applicants from next April marks the final chapter for the scheme, which has encouraged more than 800,000 households to install solar panels since it was launched in 2010.

Solar installations had already largely dried up after the incentives were cut drastically in 2016, but renewables advocates had hoped a replacement would take its place. On Thursday, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy made clear there would be no extension or new alternative.

.....

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/19/subsidies-for-new-household-solar-panels-to-end-next-year

Taiwan solar-grade poly-Si makers request government to mark up feed-in tariff rate

Taiwan-based solar-grade polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) wafer makers recommend that Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) mark up feed-in tariff rate by 9% as an incentive to motivate undertakers of PV power generation projects to adopt high-efficiency PV modules made of poly-Si solar cells and consequently increase sales of their products, according to president Swean Lin for solar-grade poly-Si wafer maker Green Energy Technology.

The other Taiwan-based solar-grade poly-Si wafer makers are Sino-American Silicon Products, Gigastorage and Danen Technology. These makers are in talks with MOEA about this, Lin said.

MOEA has offered a markup of 6% in feed-in tariff rate for PV power-generating stations and rooftop PV systems in which high-efficiency PV modules meeting MOEA's VPC (voluntary product certification) requirements are used, Lin noted. So far, most of VPC high-efficiency PV modules are made of PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) monocrystalline silicon (mono-Si) solar cells and over 80% of solar-grade mono-Si wafers used to make such solar cells are imported from China, Lin indicated. As a result, Taiwan-based solar-grade poly-Si wafer makers have not benefited from the markup, the reason for them to hope that MOEA can offer a markup of 9% for adoption of VPC high-efficiency PV modules made of PERC poly-Si solar cells, Lin explained.

In addition, since VPC requirements are specific to PV modules, many local PV module makers adopt imported solar cells to minimize production cost, Lin said. In order to boost development of local PV supply chains, Taiwan-based solar-grade poly-Si wafer makers also recommend that MOEA extend applicability of VPC requirements upstream to solar cells and solar-grade poly-Si wafers, Lin noted.

Viewing that China-based solar-grade poly-Si wafer makers generally have replaced or are replacing slurry slicing of ingots into wafers with diamond wire slicing, Green Energy Technology is promoting development of thinner diamond wire with diameter reduced from 65µm (0.065mm) currently to 50µm, Lin indicated. While 65µm diamond wire is used to slice an ingot into 58 wafers, 50µm diamond wire can be used to slice the same ingot into 66 ones, equivalent to reduction in cost per wafer by 12.12%, Lin explained. With the development financially supported by MOEA, 50µm diamond wire may come into small-volume trial production in September 2018, Lin said.

Specifically for collaboration to push for the markup of 9% in feed-in tariff rate as well as boost development of 50µm diamond wire for shared use, Green Energy Technology plans to invite the three fellow makers to form an ingot-slicing alliance at the end of 2018, Lin indicated.

https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180726PD200.html