BSI(Becancour Silicon Inc) 旗下次世代太阳能级多晶矽(Upgraded Metallurgical Grade Silicon；UMG)Timminco与道康宁(Dow Corning)将透过合资方式在太阳能级料源领域合作，道康宁将取得Timminco位在加拿大魁北克厂49%的股份，而BSI则将保有51%股权，未来双方以该厂年产4,7000吨料源再依持股比例来分配产出。
依外电报道， BSI旗下Timminco与道康宁间透过股权买卖取得合作中，BSI将取得3,900万美元的现金，且将在达成协议下的生产成本及产能提升目标后得到额外的100万美元。在此合资企业中，BSI将保留51%的股权。所以产出的分配都必须依该合资公司年产能4,7000吨为分配基础，再依2者的股权来作分配。
据了解，BSI 旗下次世代太阳能级多晶矽(Upgraded Metallurgical Grade Silicon；UMG)Timminco在2008年因为西门子类法产出的多晶矽缺料问题，再加上当时与太阳能电池龙头厂德国Q-Cells的合作关系，进而被视最具实力的UMG厂之一，再加上部份媒体的加持，使其声名大噪。
但2009年受到金融风暴的影响，使得主流多晶矽价格暴跌，一路从当时现货市场价格每公斤破400美元跌至2010年破100美元以下，UMG料源因为产出良率及质量良窳不佳的影响，导致需求明显变低，2010年第1季Timminco更因而传出全面停产。
2大UMG厂道康宁与Timminco的携手合作，凸显UMG料源的发展潜力仍受到相当的重视，即使就目前的太阳光电料源领来看，多晶矽价格受到供应者包括主力业者如美国Hemlock、德国Wacker、韩国OCI、日本Tkuyama、大陆保利协鑫(GCL)等产能快速加码，使得市场认为未来无缺料问题。其中道康宁不但是玻离大厂，本身也是Hemlcok股东之一。
太阳能业者表示，受到未来薄膜太阳能模块低价的威胁，结晶矽模块难以零料源成本与之竞争，长期来看UMG仍有相当的发展舞台。
而UMG料源受重视程度，除了欧、美、日本等国家业者或相关研究单位仍续透过整合或投入研发在进行外，大陆市场对该料源热衷的程度依然不减。台湾太阳能料源厂山阳科技，虽然原股东台半在2009年撤资，不过，近期依据大陆媒体报导，香港挂牌公司马斯葛集团公布，拟收购代价预期不超过1.25亿美元，收购山阳科技已发行股本50.1%，将以现金、代价股份或发行可换股债券等方式支付。
Timminco Limited announced today that it has agreed to form a joint venture with Dow Corning Corporation at its silicon metal production facilities in Bécancour, Québec. Dow Corning will acquire a 49% equity interest in a new joint venture entity that will own the existing silicon metal operations of Timminco's wholly- owned subsidiary, Bécancour Silicon Inc. In exchange, BSI will receive net cash proceeds of US$39.7 million on closing, and up to potentially an additional US$10.0 million after closing subject to achieving certain performance objectives relating to production cost and capacity improvements. BSI will retain a 51% equity stake in the Joint Venture.
All of the production output of the Joint Venture, which will be based on an initial annual production capacity of 47,000 mt of silicon metal, will be split between BSI and Dow Corning proportional to their ownership interests. All of BSI's solar grade silicon purification operations and facilities at the Bécancour site will remain with BSI.
"This joint venture with Dow Corning builds on a long and successful relationship between the two companies and strengthens Timminco's position for future growth opportunities," said Dr. Heinz C. Schimmelbusch, Timminco's Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.
"This acquisition is well aligned with Dow Corning's global strategy of securing an efficient supply of this critical raw material used to manufacture all of our silicon-based products," said Robert Hansen, Dow Corning's executive vice president and general manager of Core Products.
The Joint Venture, which will be known as "Québec Silicon", will acquire from BSI all of the silicon metal production assets, including property, plant, equipment, and certain net working capital items, and BSI's quartz mining lease in Lac Malbaie, Québec. BSI will retain its silicon metal customer relationships, and honour all existing contracts with such customers, through BSI's proportional off-take of the Joint Venture's production.
All active employees associated with the silicon metal operations will be transferred to the Joint Venture, which will assume certain liabilities associated with such employees, including pension obligations. The transferring employees include a majority of BSI's existing management team, which will continue to manage and operate the silicon metal operations.
The creation of the Joint Venture and the closing of Dow Corning's acquisition of its 49% equity interest is expected to occur on or about September 30, 2010. The closing is subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and consent of BSI's lenders. In the event the conditions are not fulfilled and the transactions do not proceed, BSI and Dow Corning have committed to alternative supply arrangements for 20,000 metric tons of silicon metal to be delivered in 2011.
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