Renewable Energy Corporation Silicon III Plant, USA

Renewable Energy Corporation's (REC) silicon plant at Moses Lake, Washington was started in August 2002 by REC Solar Grade Silicon (REC Silicon), a joint venture between REC group and Advanced Silicon Materials LLC (ASiMl, a subsidiary of the Japanese industrial group Komatsu Ltd). The silicon production unit was a former plant of ASiMl, which REC Silicon converted into a dedicated plant for solar-grade silicon production.
Production at the existing plant was started in November 2002. The plant came under the ownership of REC when the group fully acquired ASiMl and REC Silicon in 2005. REC has another silicon production plant in the US at Butte, Montana.
In May 2006 the group announced its decision to invest in a third silicon manufacturing plant(Silicon III) in Moses Lake, adjacent to its existing plant at the location. The plant was announced as a part of REC's plan to more than double its polysilicon production from 5,300MT (2005 production) to approximately 13,000MT. It would also be able to produce 9,000MT of silane gas.