According to South Korean media reports, Norwegian silicon materials giant REC Silicon has announced the closure of its Moses Lake plant in Washington, USA.
The Moses Lake plant had suspended operations in 2019, but production was set to resume by the end of 2023, after a five-year hiatus. The plant had an annual production capacity of 16,000 tons.
In early 2024, REC Silicon also shut down its polysilicon plant in Montana, which had an annual production capacity of 2,000 tons of semiconductor-grade polysilicon. As a result, REC Silicon is no longer producing polysilicon in the United States.
The company stated that it will now focus on its specialty gas business. In response to the growth of the U.S. semiconductor industry driven by the CHIPS Act (Semiconductor Support Act), REC Silicon plans to expand its supply of silane (SiH4) gas.
In August 2023, one year after the implementation of the CHIPS Act in the U.S., the semiconductor investment plan was officially set at $166 billion. With global semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics, TSMC, and Intel investing heavily in the U.S., the demand for semiconductor gases is expected to rise.
REC Silicon’s move into the silane market had been anticipated. On November 7, 2024, the CEO of REC Silicon stated that the company would focus on increasing opportunities in gas sales.
In September 2024, REC Silicon and Sia Nanotechnologies announced a multi-year silane gas supply agreement, with an annual production capacity of approximately 7,200 metric tons.
According to information on REC Silicon’s official website, the total production capacity of high-purity silane gas at its U.S. facilities has surpassed 30,000 tons.
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