Munich, Germany-based chemical group Wacker Chemie AG says it will construct a new hyperpure polycrystalline silicon facility in the U.S. and has purchased land in Bradley County, Tenn., on which to construct the facility.
The purchased land covers approximately 550 acres, and the purchase price totals almost $20 million. The new silicon facility is expected to create about 500 new jobs. The size of the site, the availability of reliable power from the Tennessee Valley Authority, over-the-fence supply of chlorine from the adjacent OLIN Corp. facility and excellent transportation infrastructure made this site location attractive, the company says.
The package of incentives associated with the land purchase includes provisions for necessary transportation access and a reliable source of water and electric-based energy, which are both considered key resources associated with the production of hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. In addition, according to the company, electrical energy costs in Tennessee are only about half of those incurred at comparable sites in Germany.
SOURCE: Wacker Chemie AG
