Platts to clarify EU silicon metal specs

Platts is proposing to clarify the specifications for its price assessment for silicon metal in the European Union, and to align the naming convention for the price assessment across Platts Metals Alert, Platts Metals Week and Platts Market Data, effective April 12.

The updated specifications reflect what has prevailed in the market and will not result in changes to the data history or the consistency of the data going forward.

The name as it appears in and Platts Metals Alert, Platts Metals Week and Platts Markets Data will change to Silicon, 553 grade, in-warehouse EU.

In addition, all silicon assessments will be listed under Light Metals in Platts Metals Week and no longer under Ferroalloys.

Silicon considered in the assessment will be in-warehouse, duty-paid, EU main ports, producer plants and major EU warehousing hubs.

Assessed grades will be normalized to a specification with a minimum 98.50% silicon; maximum 0.50% iron; maximum 0.30% calcium and 0.2-0.5% aluminum, lumps size 50-100 mm.

The assessment will encompass EU-origin and imported silicon, free market material, assessed in euros/mt, in bulk/1 mt big bags, delivery within 60 days from date of transaction, net-30 days payment terms from date of delivery.

Reported delivered transactions normalized back to in-warehouse basis.

Special packaging and payment terms to be normalized to meet stated specifications. Transaction quantities are three truckloads and greater.

Assessment made Thursdays or closest business day from a survey of producers, traders and consumers.

Please submit comments and/or questions to Anthony Poole, Anthony_Poole@platts.com or +1 212 904-2992, or Jitendra Gill, jitendra_gill@platts.com.