Market demand and development trend of green silicon carbide micropowder
“Before May, orders were still coming in continuously, but after May, customers disappeared collectively as if they had made an appointment.” Chen Dongzhen, manager of Jiangsu Dayang Micropowder Technology, expressed the voice of many silicon carbide companies in an industry interview in 2023. At the other end of the workshop, a grinder like Lao Zhang weighed the weight of the grinding wheel. He might not know that the raw material of this “industrial tooth” in his hand, green silicon carbide micropowder, is experiencing a market fate of ice and fire in the wave of the photovoltaic industry.
1. Core demand under the photovoltaic wave
Green silicon carbide micropowder is known as the “knife in the hands of photovoltaic companies” in the industry. 3. Its sharpness and wear resistance directly determine the efficiency and quality of silicon wafer cutting. Although it is just an auxiliary material, it plays an irreplaceable role in the photovoltaic industry chain.
According to statistics, my country’s green silicon carbide powder production in 2022 is about 120,000 tons, of which 42% (about 50,000 tons) is “eaten” by the photovoltaic industry. 2. With the establishment of solar cell factories in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions, the demand for cutting blade materials in the photovoltaic industry continues to rise. The annual consumption of solar cell substrate cutting alone is 30,000-50,000 tons. 2. To put it bluntly, green silicon carbide powder has become the “invisible gear” of the photovoltaic industry, silently promoting the birth of every silicon wafer.
The global market is also hot. In 2024, the global green silicon carbide powder market size has reached hundreds of millions of yuan, and it is expected to continue to rise in 2030. 16. Driven by the carbon neutrality goal, the installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation in various countries continues to grow, and the annual growth rate of international market demand remains at 15%-20%. 3. This piece of cake is still growing.
2. Market fluctuations and undercurrents of competition
However, the road to this seemingly promising industry is not smooth. “Market changes are like a roller coaster,” Li Jie from the Xinmi Silicon Carbide Plant in Henan Province described the market in 2023. 3. The price fluctuation cycle is as short as half a month and no longer than one month, and each fluctuation shows a downward trend.
The reasons are mainly due to four pain points:
Volatility transmission in the photovoltaic industry: if the upstream “sneezes”, the downstream will “catch a cold”. The fluctuation of foreign photovoltaic subsidy policies directly affects the demand for silicon wafers.
Overcapacity: The low threshold of the industry leads to blind expansion of enterprises. In 2022, the output of green silicon carbide blocks will reach 200,000 tons, and the signs of oversupply are beginning to emerge.
Impact of waste mortar recycling: photovoltaic enterprises save more than 50% of costs through waste recycling, resulting in a sharp drop in demand for new sand. The price of new sand (18,000-20,000 yuan/ton) and recycled sand (13,000-15,000 yuan/ton) form a “dual-track” market.
Vicious price competition: small and medium-sized enterprises lower prices for survival, causing market chaos.
3. Ways to break the deadlock: Technology upgrade and application expansion
Faced with challenges, companies are not sitting still, and three paths to break through are gradually becoming clear:
Purity upgrade has become the primary breakthrough. The demand for high-purity products above 99% is growing rapidly, and it is highly favored in the fields of semiconductor wafer cutting and advanced refractory materials16. You should know that for every one percentage point increase in purity, the added value of the product can jump up a level.
4. Future trends: rational growth and regional reconstruction
Looking to the future, the green silicon carbide micropowder market will show three major trends:
Short-term pain is inevitable, but the long-term prospects are bright. Yang Yi predicts: “The current adjustment period will last until April-May of the following year, and then gradually pick up” 3. As the decline in photovoltaic costs drives the recovery of installed capacity, the demand for cutting blade materials will return to the upward channel.
Regional market differentiation is intensifying. China is the world’s largest producer (accounting for 56.3% of global output). 3. The internal structure is also changing: North China and East China continue to lead by relying on the advantages of industrial clusters; while Northwest China has continued to add new production capacity by relying on its energy cost advantage. 18. Internationally, European and American companies focus on high-end market segments, while Chinese companies are accelerating their international layout.
The story of green silicon carbide micropowder is essentially a history of dialogue between microscopic particles and macroscopic industries. When green crystals carve fine marks on silicon wafers, they also leave their mark in the wave of global energy transformation. In the next five years, this seemingly inconspicuous “industrial gear” will continue its silent and indispensable journey in the flashing blue light of photovoltaic panels and in the nanoscale circuits of semiconductor chips.
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