EANS-News: WACKER Expands Polysilicon Production in Burghausen and Nünchritz

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Subtitle: - Debottlenecking increases capacity by a total of 10,000 metric tons
per year
- Investment volume totals some €130 million
- Start of production expected in 2012
- CEO Rudolf Staudigl: “Thanks to our extensive technological expertise and our
experienced engineering and production teams, we can implement this expansion
quickly and cost-effectively.”

Munich (euro adhoc) - March 14, 2011 - Wacker Chemie AG has decided to expand
its production facilities for hyperpure polysilicon at its Burghausen and
Nünchritz sites in Germany. The Munich-based chemical company announced the
decision today. By taking debottlenecking measures within its integrated
production network, it will increase annual quantities at each site by 5,000
metric tons. Thus, Burghausen´s annual capacity will rise from some 32,000
metric tons now to about 37,000. At Nünchritz, the polysilicon facility
currently under construction and due to come on stream by year-end was to have a
production capacity of around 10,000 metric tons per year. Now, its capacity is
increasing to 15,000 metric tons annually. First volumes from these expansion
measures are expected to be available in 2012. The debottlenecking involves
investments totaling some EUR130 million.

As already reported, WACKER is also building a new polysilicon-production
facility in Cleveland, Tennessee (USA) with an annual capacity of 15,000 metric
tons. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2013. Thus, WACKER´s total
hyperpure-polysilicon production capacity will increase to 67,000 metric tons by
2014.

The expansion will enable WACKER to meet the continued rising global demand it
expects for hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. WACKER has concluded a series of
high-volume, multiyear contracts that also involve advance payments by customers
for future deliveries. Thus, polysilicon from ongoing production in Burghausen
and originally planned capacities in Nünchritz and Tennessee are essentially
under contract until 2014.

"This expansion is necessary for us to continue meeting our customers´ demand
for top-quality and highly efficient solar-grade polysilicon in the years to
come," explains Wacker Chemie AG CEO Rudolf Staudigl. "Thanks to our extensive
technological expertise and our experienced engineering and production teams, we
can implement this expansion quickly and cost-effectively."

WACKER manufactured over 30,000 metric tons of hyperpure polysilicon in 2010,
making it one of the top producers worldwide. With the two polysilicon
facilities currently under construction in Nünchritz and Cleveland, WACKER is
strengthening its position as a leading supplier of high-quality semiconductor-
and solar-grade 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 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: Midcap Market Index, MDAX, CDAX, Classic All Share, HDAX, Prime All
Share
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English

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