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Silicon producers in Japan suffering power problems
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Polysilicon and wafer producer, SUMCO Corporation said that following the earthquake, the operations of the Yonezawa Plant (Yonezawa, Yamagata) had been suspended. SUMCO noted that none of the workers at the plant suffered injury.
SUMCO Corporation intends to restart the operations upon completion of inspection and confirmation, while assigning top priority to safety.
SUMCO operates several plants in the Kyushu region, noting that it was considering a backup power supply system to speed production recovery, suggesting it is also being affected by power shortages that could last through the end of April.
SUMCO has two plants in the north east region, which are affected by utility issues.
Shin-Etsu had also closed three semiconductor wafer plants and had 35%+ share of worldwide semiconductor wafer market.
M.Setek has also been impacted by the disaster with a plant affected by the tsunami, causing damage to facilities and equipment, though it should be noted that specifics and secondary confirmations are not yet forthcoming.
According to a research note from Jeffries International, M.Setek’s plant in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture and its proximity to Sendai (major tsumani impact zone), had been damaged and that it was making the assumption that the Soma plant would not be in production for the remainder of 2011.
The prefecture is also at the centre of the TEPCO operated nuclear power station disaster.
