Yunnan sole production zone with higher operation rate

CNIA said of the three key Chinese silicon metal zones in China in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, and the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, just the silicon sector in Yunnan currently has higher operations rate as it is less affected by the domestic environment protection control.

It said Yunnan 's overall silicon operations rate was 80% as of end-August, with producers in Xinjiang and Aba County in Sichuan have lower operations rates of 61% and 58%, respectively, as of end-August, from 67% and 63% in end-July, on environment protection check.

Xinjiang, China's second largest silicon producer, has output capacity of 1.05 million mt/year, produced 61,000 mt silicon metal in August, down 3,000 mt from July, data from CNIA showed.

It said the lower output was due to producers in the region being just able to produce one-third to one-fourth of its normal monthly output in August, due to the domestic environment protection monitoring.

Sichuan is China's third biggest silicon production base, with total capacity of 700,000 mt/year, data from CNIA showed.