EANS-News: WACKER Builds New Polysilicon Production Facility in the USA

- Integrated production site with an annual capacity of 15,000 metric
tons in the U.S. State of Tennessee
- Some 650 new jobs expected
from €1.1 billion investment
- Completion scheduled for end of 2013

- CEO Rudolf Staudigl: “This large-scale investment is instrumental
in strengthening our position as one of the world’s leading suppliers
of hyperpure polysilicon for the solar industry”

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Company Information

Subtitle: - Integrated production site with an annual capacity of
15,000 metric tons in the U.S. State of Tennessee - Some 650 new jobs
expected from €1.1 billion investment - Completion scheduled for end
of 2013 - CEO Rudolf Staudigl: “This large-scale investment is
instrumental in strengthening our position as one of the world’s
leading suppliers of hyperpure polysilicon for the solar industry”

Munich / Cleveland (TN, USA) (euro adhoc) - December 9, 2010 - Wacker
Chemie AG will build a new and fully integrated polysilicon
production site near the city of Cleveland, Tennessee (USA). The
Munich-based chemical company announced the decision today. With an
annual capacity of 15,000 metric tons, the production complex will be
built on a property acquired by WACKER early last year. In Cleveland,
WACKER will build facilities that are based on closed-loop material
recycling for the entire polysilicon-production supply chain. This
spans from the production of trichlorosilane feedstock and deposition
of hyperpure silicon through to facilities to recycle resultant
by-products and auxiliary materials. The new site´s completion is
expected at the end of 2013. The Group has budgeted investments of
some EUR1.1 billion for this expansion of its production capacities.
As a result, around 650 new jobs are expected to be created in
Cleveland.

This investment decision will enable WACKER to meet the accelerating
global demand it expects for hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. For
coming years, WACKER anticipates continued double-digit annual growth
in polysilicon demand by the solar industry. The company likewise
expects higher polysilicon demand from the electronics sector.

"This large-scale investment is instrumental in strengthening our
position as one of the world´s leading suppliers of hyperpure
polysilicon for the solar industry;" said Rudolf Staudigl, CEO of
Wacker Chemie AG. "We are convinced that our customers´ demand for
top-quality polysilicon will continue to increase in coming years, as
our material enables them to manufacture solar cells with high energy
yields. Moreover, these additional production capacities outside the
eurozone help to make us more independent of exchange-rate
fluctuations."

Good infrastructure conditions and competitively priced power were
key aspects in selecting this site. Over-the-fence supply of chlorine
and excellent transportation infrastructure made Cleveland an
attractive location. Plus, WACKER receives outstanding support in
Tennessee from local authorities and business partners. The incentive
package associated with site construction includes provision of the
necessary transportation links, as well as reliable water and
electricity supplies - both vital for producing hyperpure
polycrystalline silicon. In addition, Tennessee´s electricity prices
are much lower than at comparable German sites.

With a production output of some 30,000 metric tons in 2010, WACKER
is the world´s second-largest producer of hyperpure polycrystalline
silicon. WACKER´s polysilicon production currently under construction
in Nünchritz (Germany) and the new capacities at its Tennessee site
are reinforcing the Group´s position as a leading manufacturer of
high-quality semiconductor and solar silicon.

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on
assumptions and estimates of WACKER´s Executive Board. Although we
assume the expectations in these forwardlooking statements are
realistic, we cannot guarantee they will prove to be correct. The
assumptions may harbor risks and uncertainties that may cause the
actual figures to differ considerably from the forwardlooking
statements. Factors that may cause such discrepancies include, among
other things, changes in the economic and business environment,
variations in exchange and interest rates, the introduction of
competing products, lack of acceptance for new products or services,
and changes in corporate strategy. WACKER does not plan to update the
forwardlooking statements, nor does it assume the obligation to do
so.

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: Wacker Chemie AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Christof Bachmair

Media Relations & Information

Tel.: +49 (0)89 6279 1830

E-Mail: christof.bachmair@wacker.com

Branche: Chemicals
ISIN: DE000WCH8881
WKN: WCH888
Index: Midcap Market Index, MDAX, CDAX, Classic All Share, HDAX,
Prime All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard