The division increased sales by 11% to €262m ($363.5m) compared to the year-earlier period, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and appreciation (Ebitda) more than tripled to €180m due to special income from retained advance payments and damages received.

Without the special income, Ebitda at the Munich-based company would still have gone up by 25%.

The rise in profit from its polysilicon business came amid an 8% jump in overall sales to €1.16bn,