Tokuyama Malaysia, a subsidiary of Tokuyama Corporation, has initiated the second-phase construction of its polycrystalline silicon plant at the Samalaju Industrial Park in Sarawak, Malaysia.
The estimated construction cost of the second-phase plant will be approximately ¥100bn ($1.25bn).
The company, which aims to start production operations in April 2014, uses the Siemens method to produce polycrystalline silicon for solar cells at a capacity of 13,800 tonnes per year (tpa).
Tokuyama Malaysia said by combining the second-phase capacity with that of the first-phase plant, which is currently under construction in the same industrial park, the production capacity of its new plant will reach 20,000tpa.
Tokuyama's present aim is to raise its global share of polycrystalline silicon for solar cells to 10% or more, to meet the accelerating solar cell demand in the future.
Tokuyama is involved in various business segments, including chemicals, which comprises soda ash and calcium chloride, chlor-alkali, vinyl chloride, and new organic chemicals.
The company's other business segments include speciality products, consisting of electronic materials, fumed silica, precipitated silica, fine chemicals, Shapal, IC chemicals, cleaning systems and NF business units.
Tokuyama is also engaged in the cement industry, advanced components such as polypropylene film, medical diagnosis systems, dental materials, ion exchange membranes, gas sensors / detectors, and plastic sashes.
