DK Electronic Materials (DKEM), one of the two largest China-based makers of conductive PV silver paste used in production of solar cells, will invest CNY1.247 billion (US$192 million) to acquire DuPont's silver paste business, according to Chinese media reports.
DKEM will obtain DuPont's Solamet PV silver paste business assets including patents, the sources said.
DuPont, Germany-based Heraeus, South Korea-based Samsung SDI and Taiwan-based Giga Solar Materials used to be major suppliers of PV silver paste, the sources noted.
As Chinese solar cell makers together have had a global market share of about 85%, Chinese PV silver paste makers have emerged since 2017, the sources said. With Chinese solar cell makers accounting for 90% of shipments, Chinese PV silver paste makers' combined global market share has risen from about 50% in 2019 to 70-80% currently, the sources indicated.
DuPont's patents concerning PV silver paste have not given it not much advantage in the Chinese market where local solar cell makers care more about prices than patents and have been relying mostly on local suppliers, the sources explained.
