EANS-News: WACKER Polysilicon Production Facilities at Nünchritz Officially Come on Stream

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Company Information

Subtitle: - New production facilities increase WACKER’s capacity by a
total of 15,000 metric tons per year - Investments of around €900
million in the Nünchritz plant create over 500 new jobs - CEO Rudolf
Staudigl: “We are optimistic about the outlook for photovoltaics”

Munich (euro adhoc) - April 27, 2012 - Wacker Chemie AG's hyperpure
polysilicon production facilities at its Nünchritz site officially
went into operation today. In the presence of Stanislaw Tillich, the
prime minister of Saxony, and numerous other high-ranking guests from
politics, business, and public administration, the Munich-based
chemical company officially inaugurated its new production complex.
Overall, WACKER has invested some EUR900 million in the facilities,
thereby creating more than 500 new jobs.

Initial production began at the facilities in fall last year, and the
start-up phase is now virtually complete. The plant is expected to
reach its full nominal capacity of some 15,000 metric tons per year
within the next few weeks. All in all, WACKER is ramping up its total
capacity for polysilicon to around 52,000 metric tons by the end of
2012, making it one of the largest producers worldwide. With the new
polysilicon site currently under construction in Charleston
(Tennessee, USA), WACKER's total annual production capacity will rise
to around 70,000 metric tons by 2014, strengthening its position as a
leading producer of high-quality semiconductor- and solar-grade
silicon.

Rudolf Staudigl, president and CEO of Wacker Chemie AG, said in his
speech: "This expansion of capacity is a key prerequisite to enable
us - now and in the years to come - to meet our customers' demand for
top-quality polysilicon for use in highly efficient solar cells.
WACKER's entire polysilicon output, including that from Nünchritz, is
almost completely under contract until the end of 2015."

After massive overcapacity in the solar industry and consolidation
within the sector had a strong impact on WACKER's polysilicon
business in Q4 2011, demand turned up markedly again in the first few
months of 2012. Sales in Q1 2012 were almost 50 percent higher than
in the same period last year. Currently, all of the company's
production facilities are running at full capacity. From today's
viewpoint, demand will remain robust in the months ahead.

In his speech, Staudigl also spoke about WACKER's expectations for
the solar market. "We are very optimistic about the outlook for
photovoltaics because the significant price decline for polysilicon,
wafers, cells and modules strengthens photovoltaics' competitiveness
as an energy source," highligthed the CEO. This means there will be
new markets to access in future, he said, with the main growth
markets being China, India and the USA. "The polysilicon from
Nünchritz will assist us in meeting this growth in demand", Staudigl
emphasized in his remarks.

WACKER in Nünchritz The Nünchritz plant was founded as a chemical
site in 1900 and became part of the WACKER Group in 1998. Meanwhile,
approximately EUR1.5 billion has been invested in the Nünchritz
plant, making it one of the world's largest and most modern
production sites for silicones and hyperpure polysilicon. More than
1,400 people currently work at WACKER Nünchritz.

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 forward-looking
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.

Further inquiry note:
Christof Bachmair
Media Relations & Information
Tel.: +49 (0)89 6279 1830
E-Mail: christof.bachmair@wacker.com

end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: Wacker Chemie AG
Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
D-81737 München
phone: +49 (0) 89 6279 01
FAX: +49 (0) 89 6279 1770
mail: info@wacker.com
WWW: http://www.wacker.com
sector: Chemicals
ISIN: DE000WCH8881
indexes: MDAX, CDAX, Prime All Share
stockmarkets: free trade: Hannover, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart,
regulated dealing: Berlin, regulated dealing/prime standard:
Frankfurt
language: English