this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2024
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Where are they getting the material for wafers? Seems like 1 step forward and 3 steps backwards.
How is domestic silicon manufacturing in any way a "step back"?
Where is the sources for the material coming from? I don’t think most people realize that “domestic manufacturing” includes imported materials majority of the time which is getting tariffed.
The USA does produce polysilicon domestically, which is the main raw material in wafers and ignots. Since the plant isn't operational yet there is no report of where they are getting their polysilicon.
I think they're asking where the raw materials come from , i.e. the silicon to make the polysilicon. Usually sand is refined for this purpose; a lot of which comes from the Gobi desert in China.
I placed this info elsewhere. Refinery building in Tennessee, query in Canada. At least that's one company shooting to use the silicon for EV batteries. Makes sense because GM built their battery plant here in Tennessee as well. So they could likely ship within the state once refined. (Trump's tarrifs on Canada obviously being an issue)