The solar-grade silicon wafer makers rise prices in Taiwan

According to the news and industry sources, Taiwan-based makers have hiked high quotes regarding the high energy conversion rate solar-grade wafers that make about US$1 per wafer (calculated in terms of tight deadlines and supplies).

As seen in earlier months, the prices for high-efficiency solar-grade crystalline silicon wafer rated at US$0.93-0.95 in November 2013 and US$0.96 in December. However, these figures are expected to further rise to US$1.05 in February 2014, notified the industry sources.

In case of orders for urgent shipments, certain Taiwan-based makers have quoted US$1.06-1.07, but the prices for low-efficiency models in the energy conversion rates of below 17.2% have managed to remain at US$0.9.

There has been a short supply of China-based wafer makers because of the decreased shipments to Taiwan-based solar cell producers in this fast growing domestic demand, said the sources. In addition, to the efforts of these solar cell makers, China-based makers have also been a part of this interaction and have placed orders with Taiwan producers of high-efficiency wafers, indicated the same sources.  

Unconventional Gas Market is Expected to Reach USD 126.93 Billion in 2019: Transparency Market Research

According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research  "Unconventional Gas (Shale Gas, Tight Gas and Coal Bed Methane) Market for Industrial, Power Generation, Residential, Commercial and Transportation Applications - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019," global unconventional gas market was valued at USD 93.95 billion in 2012 and is expected to reach USD 126.93 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2013 to 2019. In terms of volume, global production was 23.48 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in 2012 and is expected to reach 34.12 tcf by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2013 to 2019.

Browse the full report at  http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/unconventional-gas.html

Depleting conventional gas reserves coupled with fluctuating natural gas prices has led to increasing preference towards unconventional gases. In addition, abundant availability of technically recoverable unconventional gas reserves backed by technological advancement in the U.S. is further expected to boost the market growth.

Tight gas was the largest produced unconventional gas and accounted for over 44% of the total market in 2012. Shale gas is expected to be the fastest growing gas type at an estimated CAGR of 7% from 2013 to 2019. Shale gas success in U.S. has led other countries such as China to shift their focus towards developing shale gas. Global CBM production is expected to reach 4,256.8 bcf by 2019, U.S. and Canada CBM markets are nearing saturation and are expected to grow at a sluggish rate. However, CBM production in Asia Pacific, especially in Australia and Indonesia is expected to drive the overall market. Australia, owing to its huge CBM deposits, is expected to become one of the major CBM producers over the next six years.

U.S. emerged as the leading producer of unconventional gas and accounted for more than 70% of the total production in 2012. Large amount of shale gas reserves in the U.S. coupled with advanced production techniques adopted is expected to shift the U.S. from a net gas importer to a net gas exporter. Asia Pacific is expected to be fastest growing market at an estimated CAGR of 20.8% between 2013 and 2019. China has substantial technically recoverable shale gas reserves but presently there is no shale gas production and it is expected to commence by 2015.

Unconventional gases are being used in power generation and industrial application. Industrial application accounted for nearly 30% of the total unconventional gas produced in 2012. Power generation is expected to be the fastest growing application due to increasing energy demand growing at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2013 to 2019. The production of unconventional gases for residential application was nearly 4800 bcf in 2012. Transportation industry is expected to generate revenue worth USD 4.85 billion by 2019.

The global unconventional gas market was highly fragmented with no clear leader. In 2012, Chesapeake Energy, Exxon Mobil and Devon Energy emerged as top three manufacturers of shale gas. BG Group, Arrow Energy and Dart Energy were top three CBM manufacturers and accounted for over 60% of the total CBM production in 2012. Anadarko, AGL Energy, BHP Billiton, BG Group, BP, Chevron, EXCO Resources, Great Eastern Energy, Origin Energy, PetroChina, Shell and Total are some of the key industry participants in the unconventional gas market.

This report segments the global unconventional gas market as follows:

• Shale Gas Market: Application Analysis
  • Industrial
  • Power generation
  • Residential
  • Commercial
  • Transportation
    
• Coal Bed Methane Market: Application Analysis
  • Industrial
  • Power generation
  • Residential
  • Commercial
  • Transportation
    
• Tight Gas Market: Application Analysis
  • Industrial
  • Power generation
  • Residential
  • Commercial
  • Transportation
    
• Unconventional Gas Market (Including shale gas, CBM and tight gas): Regional Analysis
  • U.S.
  • Canada
  • Europe
  • Asia Pacific
  • Rest of the World

About Us

Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

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Chinese Increasingly Looking at Foreign Lands for Property Investments

Property investments in overseas markets seem to be a lucrative proposition for Chinese investors. The Chinese are increasingly investing significant amount of money in purchasing property in foreign countries either to establish businesses or to move their families and set up new homes.

These details emerged from China’s migration status report (titled The Annual Report on Chinese International Migration 2014) that was released on Wednesday. The report reveals that there is a considerable number of Chinese investors that are going abroad to purchase properties and establish a permanent residence in North America and Europe, among other regions.

In fact, the report further states that in 2011, China was the second biggest investor in overseas properties in the U.S. Interestingly, nearly 20% to 40% of foreign property investors in London and Toronto are Chinese.

The Chinese appetite for investment seems to be reaching an all time high given that the middle class here is burgeoning and the rates of savings among citizens are significantly high. This forms the perfect foundation for Chinese investors to make investments in increasing their assets.

And, it is important to note that China is a country that’s rapidly aging. This indicates that the rate and volumes of investment will continue to rise over the next few years.

In fact, according to statistics available with the U.S. State Department, nearly 6,124 applications from China obtained the investment immigration visa (EB-5) in 2012. This figure is eight times higher than that of 2010.

According to a survey conducted by SouFun International that comprised 12 million potential buyers of property, nearly 43% of the respondents said that their key reason for purchasing property overseas is migration. Other reasons that respondents cited included better educational resources, a more secure investment, and a better quality of life in foreign countries.

China Beats India to Become World’s Largest Gold Consumer in 2013

2013 saw China beating India to claim the spot of the largest consumer of gold globally. The country gained the number one spot supported by factors such as high volumes of gold jewelry purchases, gold bullion purchases, and investments in gold panda coins, as reported by the Securities Times.

According to data available, in 2013 the total gold demand in China was around 1189.8 metric tons. This marks a 32% spike in the YoY demand for gold. Interestingly, the 2013 gold demand is five times more than that what it stood at in 2003, as per data collated by Thomson Reuters. The fact that gold prices slumped in 2013 also stimulated the demand for gold among Chinese consumers.

At the same time, the markets of Europe and North America haven’t been most optimistic for gold. Here, the demand for gold has stabilized post a boom that lasted nearly 12 years, Financial Times reported. And, gold holdings have witnessed a decrease of nearly 880 tons given that the economy is warming up and there has been a weakening in expectations of inflation.

Typically, gold that comes from the European markets is melted into smaller bullion pieces in Switzerland, and is then transported into the Asian market.

According to market reports available, the consumption of gold in the Indian market saw a 5% spike in 2013. The Indian market reportedly consumed nearly 987.2 tons of gold in 2013. However, the implementation of new restriction policies and import tariffs in the same year meant that the country saw a slightly suppressed demand for gold.

Activated Carbon Market Is Expected to Reach USD 4,180.5 Million by 2019: Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research has released a new market study titled "Activated Carbon Market (Powdered, Granular) for Liquid Phase and Gas Phase Applications in Water Treatment, Food & Beverage Processing, Pharmaceutical & Medical, Automotive and Air purification - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019," which observes that global market for activated carbon was valued at USD 1,913.2 million in 2012 and is expected to reach USD 4,180.5 million by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 11.9% from 2013 to 2019. In terms of volumes, activated carbon demand was 1,204.5 kilo tons in 2012 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% from 2013 to 2019.

Browse the full report with complete TOC at http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/activated-carbon-market.html

Increasing use to eliminate heavy metal residues from industrial waste coupled with growing concerns over environmental and the need to meet Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) issued by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aimed to reduce acid gas, mercury, and other metal emissions from oil and coal fired power plants is expected to drive activated carbon demand in the near future. Unreliable raw material availability with regards to coconut shell charcoal and metallurgical coal is expected to hamper the growth of the market. Reactivation of carbon is a key opportunity for manufacturers to reduce the operation cost of process as well as the carbon foot print.

Powdered activated carbon emerged as the largest product segment owing to its extensive use in mercury removal application and accounted for approximately 49% of the market in 2012. Gas phase is expected to be the fastest growing application for activated carbon at a CAGR of 13.0% from 2012 to 2018. Presently, liquid phase applications dominate the market and accounted for over 58% of the total volume consumed in 2012.

Water treatment was the largest end-use segment for activated carbon and accounted for over 40% of the consumption in 2012. The growing awareness of advantages of water treatment is expected to keep this segment largest over the forecast period. Air purification is expected to be the fastest growing market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.9% from 2013 to 2019. Pharmaceutical and medical is also one of the key end-user industries. Increasing demand for activated carbon in this industry is primarily due to increased pharmaceutical output in North America and Asia Pacific.

Asia Pacific dominated the global activated carbon market and accounted for over 41% of the total revenue in 2012. Asia Pacific is also expected to be the fastest growing market for activated carbon, growing at a CAGR of 12.0% from 2013 to 2019. Japan, China, and India are the major activated carbon producing countries in Asia Pacific. The demand in North America and Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.2% and 7.6% from 2013 to 2019 respectively.

The global activated carbon demand was driven by strong demand from U.S. and Asia Pacific. Strict federal regulations for mercury removal at industrial plants including coal power plants are one of the key driving factors. However, tight raw material supply expected to limit the growth of activated carbon market. The reactivation of spent carbon helps manufacturers to reduce operating costs and environmental footprints hence it is expected to open the future market for activated carbon over the near future.

The report provides a detailed analysis and forecast of the activated carbon market on a global as well as regional level. The demand forecast is given for the period ranging from 2013 to 2019, based on volume (kilo tons) as well as revenue (USD million). The study consists of drivers, restraints and opportunities prevailing in activated carbon market and its implications during the forecast period.

Novartis AG’s Acute Heart Failure Treatment Receives a Setback

Looks like Novartis AG—the Switzerland-based drug maker—will have to put an unforeseen hold on plans to replenish its drug range. On Friday the company suffered a setback as the European advisory panel commented that it would not recommend Novartis’ serelaxin treatment for acute heart failure.

The company has now said that it plans to request the committee of the European Medicines Agency to reconsider and re-examine the drug. With this, Novartis expects to receive a conditional approval to enter the market with its product. Novartis can, for now, launch the drug in the European market even as the drug’s late-stage trial continues to take place simultaneously.

David Epstein, who heads Novartis Pharmaceuticals, stated that the company now plans to file a whole new package so as to support the approval application for the drug over the next few weeks. According to Epstein, the company expects to hear of a positive opinion as early as the second quarter of the year.

Novartis has been relying on new products such as its serelaxin drug to reload its product portfolio in the global market. Some of its drugs are on the verge of losing patent protection and thus, they will soon be in neck to neck competition with generic drugs. As this happens, Novartis will find the competition cutting into its drug revenue.

According to Epstein, the company regards serelaxin as a drug that could potentially prove to be a blockbuster drug, with the ability to bring in annual revenue to the tune of USD 1 billion.

Serelaxin is a drug that works by relaxing blood vessels as it is a form of human hormone. It has been formulated for use as heart failure treatment. Heart failure is a condition wherein the heart is unable to pump enough quantities of blood. Currently, though heart failure is a widespread condition, no treatments are available for the same.

Currently, Novartis is conducting a second Phase 3 drug trial. This is the last stage of testing the drug on humans before it can be submitted to agencies for an approval. The intermediate results of the trial are expected by 2015.

Automobile Production in U.K. Highest Since 2007

The production of cars in the United Kingdom witnessed a 3.1% spike in 2013. This production rate is the highest since 2007. According to industry watchers, this high demand can be attributed to higher exports in Non-European countries as well as domestic demand for automobiles. With its resurgence, the British car making industry could well be poised to overtake France, to emerge as the third largest manufacturer of cars in Europe.

The data that was released by the U.K. Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on Thursday indicates that the British automobile manufacturing industry is all set to outdo its own record production figures of 1.92 million that was achieved in 1972. The new record is likely to be set over the next few years given that the British automobile industry is currently witnessing a new wave of foreign investment.

According to the CEO of SMMT Mike Hawes, the total automotive investments in 2013 in the United Kingdom were higher than USD 4.12 billion. This has led industry analysts to renew their projections that the car industry in the UK could surpass its own record output over the next four years.

In 2012, the total number of cars that were manufactured in the U.K amounted to 1.51 million, as compared to the 2012 output of 1.46 million units. This growth comes despite the decision of auto giants such as Ford to down the shutters on two of its smaller facilities in the country so as to cut costs as mitigate the impact of the European economic slump.

On the other hand, other companies such as Nissan Motor Co from Japan have upgraded their investments in the country.

According to data released by the SMMT, the total number of car units produced for the British market saw a 22% rise in 2013. Factors such as attractive financing options from car makers and a buoyant British economy have propelled this growth story.