Polysilicon manufacturer REC Silicon has delayed the timeframe of its first shipment from its Moses Lake facility, in the US state of Washington, from the end of the first quarter of 2024 to early Q2 2024.

The company cited “minor delays in the completion of the new postproduction treatment, packaging and handling lines have compressed the timeline for required testing and optimization” for the updated timeframe.

Ramp-up activities of the facility are progressing, with the production of high-purity granular polysilicon continuing to increase, as the company’s expects to reach full capacity by the end of the year.

The company added that it “continues to look for opportunities to improve the shipment schedule while focusing on increasing the capacity utilization of the production units”.

Plans to reopen the facility were announced in May 2022, before the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, due to – at the time – a direct result of solar manufacturer Hanwha’s commitment to REC Silicon. Indeed, a full-form supply agreement for ten years to supply high-purity fluidised bed reactor (FBR) granular polysilicon was signed between REC Silicon and Hanwha Solutions’ subsidiary, Hanwha Qcells Georgia, last September.

Moreover, the company revealed last month that it was shutting down its polysilicon production capacity at its Butte facility in Montana due to increased electricity costs in the region both in the short and mid-term. Production will continue for six to nine months to fulfil ongoing customer orders.