Asia polysilicon prices to firm in 2011 on strong solar demand

(ICIS) -- Asian prices of polysilicon - the main material used in solar cells and panels - are expected to increase this year, as demand outstrips supply, especially in a burgeoning spot market, industry players said on Thursday.

One megawatt of photovoltaic power requires seven tonnes, or 7,000kg, of polysilicon material. Polysilicon is traded in chunks, rods and granules.

In a sign of a firm market, China's LDK Solar - which manufactures polysilicon, mono and multicrystalline ingots, wafers, modules and cells - raised its outlook for the fiscal year 2011 earlier this week.

The global solar-grade polysilicon capacity rose to 140,000 tonnes in 2010, up from 90,000 tonnes in 2009, according to an ICIS survey.

MRC

(ICIS) -- Epoxy resins price hikes in the Americas are supported by strong demand, which is likely to increase late in the first quarter as construction activity in North America picks up, a producer said on Wednesday.

US producers Dow Chemical and Momentive Performance Materials announced 7 cent/lb ($154/tonne, ┬119/tonne) increases for January and 10 cent/lb increases for February.

Huntsman announced a 10 cent/lb increase effective 15 January, and sources said the company would likely consider an additional price initiative.

Market participants said producers were firm on the January price increase, but the February increase would depend on demand.

With January increases pending, US domestic liquid epoxy resin (LER) sales to mid-volume customers were $1.52-1.60/lb DEL, as assessed by ICIS.

MRC

Traditionally, more than 60% of total imports of HDPE fall on two sectors: extrusion cover of steel pipes of large diameter for oil pipe line and PE pipes. The most considerable gain in HDPE imports regarding the results of last year was marked in the sector of film PE.

mrcplast.com

Traditional leading countries-suppliers of PVC-S to the Russian market remained unchanged: China, USA and South Korea.

At the same time leaders of the recent years - Chinese producers of acetylene PVC - were replaced by the suspension suppliers from USA.

Starting from the second half of 2010, PVC-S supplies from the North American producers took a leading position. Import supplies of suspension PVC from USA in 2010 exceeded the imports of the Chinese acetylene resin almost by 35 KT. The third place is taken by the resin from South Korea which was supplied in 2010 to Russian with total weight of about 34 KT.

MRC

(Coatings World) -- AkzoNobel invested in a new powder coating manufacturing plant in Apodaca (suburb of Monterrey, Mexico). The new 85,000 square foot facility will include manufacturing, warehousing, research and development labs, administrative offices and a quality control laboratory. The project was approved by Akzo's board in mid-September, and construction began early December with completion expected to take up to eight months.

The site will allow the company to more than double its powder coatings business in Mexico and Central America over the next several years.

The new facility was deemed necessary, as AkzoNobel rapidly approaches the capacity limits of the current manufacturing facility in Monterrey. The company will continue to produce its products in the existing manufacturing facility during the construction phase of the new manufacturing plant, which is expected to be fully operational in the third quarter of 2011.

MRC