Hoku announces amendment to contract with Alex New Energy

HONOLULU, HAWAII & SHANGHAI, CHINA: Hoku Materials Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hoku Scientific Inc., established to manufacture and sell polysilicon for the solar market, and Shanghai Alex New Energy Co. Ltd. (Alex), a manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar cells, modules and photovoltaic (PV) products in China, today announced the amendment of the polysilicon supply agreement in effect between the two companies.

According to the terms of the amendment, both companies have agreed to delay the first shipment of polysilicon by Hoku to Alex from the first quarter to the third quarter of calendar year 2010. The other commercial terms of the supply agreement remain unchanged, including pricing, contract duration, and shipment volumes, among others.

"This amendment adjusts the timing of our first delivery to Alex to a date that is amenable to both companies," said Dustin Shindo, chairman and chief executive officer of Hoku Scientific. "Hoku was prepared to ship third-party product in accordance with our contract, but the updated schedule more closely matches Alex's revised supply chain forecasts while still conforming nicely to our projected production ramp. We look forward to the commencement of our regular deliveries of polysilicon to Alex in 2010."

"We are pleased by this amendment because it provides clear benefits to both companies, and reflects the continued strong partnership between Hoku and Alex," said Alex's president, Lian Wen Zhang.

Subsequent to the recent closing of its financing with Tianwei New Energy, Hoku reported it was now preparing for a reactor test demonstration in the first quarter of calendar year 2010, followed by a phased ramp-up to a planned initial production capacity of approximately 2,500 metric tons of polysilicon per year. The Company noted that the reactor test demonstration was pushed back slightly due to the timing of the close of the transaction with Tianwei.

Hoku explained that this first phase of production would be completed using third-party trichlorosilane (TCS), initial quantities of which had already been procured and delivered to the Company's Pocatello facility. Hoku explained that this revised ramp up and production schedule was expected to provide sufficient polysilicon to fully satisfy the Company's current contractual delivery obligations.

Hoku reported that it expected to continue adding reactor capacity throughout calendar 2010 until reaching the plant's full annual production capacity of 4,000 metric tons in the second half of the year. Hoku also said that it planned to bring its on-site TCS production facility online by the end of calendar 2010, which would eliminate the Company's need to procure third-party process chemicals.