WACKER POLYSILICON

At WACKER POLYSILICON, sales fell in 2019, coming in at €780.0 million (2018: €823.5 million). That was 5.3 percent less. The decline was chiefly due to markedly lower average prices for solar-grade polysilicon. Volume growth did not compensate for this. In 2019, Asia was again the division’s key sales region.

EBITDA at WACKER POLYSILICON totaled €56.9 million (2018: €72.4 million), down 21.4 percent year over year. It included insurance compensation of €112.5 million for damage incurred following the incident of 2017 at the site in Charleston (USA). Adjusted for this special income, EBITDA was €-55.6 million. Significantly lower average prices and inventory valuation adjustments weighed on EBITDA. The EBITDA margin was 7.3 percent (2018: 8.8 percent).

WACKER POLYSILICON’s capital expenditures dropped significantly to €35.3 million (2018: €62.2 million). The number of employees declined to 2,333 as of December 31, 2019 (Dec. 31, 2018: 2,549).

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Key Data: WACKER POLYSILICON

€ million

2019

2018

2017

2016¹

2015

¹	Reclassification of costs from selling expenses to R&D expenses starting in 2016

Total sales

780.0

823.5

1,124.0

1,095.5

1,063.6

EBITDA

56.9

72.4

290.4

285.9

402.4

EBITDA margin (%)

7.3

8.8

25.8

26.1

37.8

EBIT

-1,012.9

-257.3

-87.6

-117.1

162.6

Capital expenditures

35.3

62.2

57.6

130.0

581.8

R&D expenses

30.0

32.8

22.6

18.3

15.3

Employees (December 31, number)

2,333

2,549

2,538

2,490

2,373

Polysilicon

Hyperpure polycrystalline silicon from WACKER POLYSILICON is used for manufacturing wafers for the electronics and solar industries. To produce it, metallurgical-grade silicon is converted into liquid trichlorosilane, highly distilled and deposited in hyperpure form at 1,000 °C.

EBITDA

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

EBITDA

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.