Tellurium market under pressure after First Solar restructuring, Nyrstar supply

May 10, 2012 | 08:06 AM |

The tellurium market is facing dual headwinds from weaker demand and stronger supply as First Solar restructures its operations and Nyrstar begins to produce tellurium dioxide at its Port Pirie smelter in Australia. Metal Bulletin tellurium prices were $110-190 per kg on Wednesday May 9, down by $10 from the previous quotation and 45% lower than prices at the start of the year, as price expectations were hurt further following recent announcements from First Solar and Nyrstar. First-quarter earnings at First Solar, the world’s largest consumer of tellurium, have weighed on sentiment. The company reported a net loss of $5.20 per share, compared with a net income of $1.33 in the first quarter of last year, as it faced lower module sales and lower average sales prices. The Arizona-based cadmium-telluride solar cell  manufacturer also incurred pre-tax charges....