Germany's largest solar company Q-Cells (QCE.DE) and Chinese solar company LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK) have asked German anti-trust regulators for permission to form a joint venture, according to a Bloomberg report.
LDK Solar makes silicon ingots and wafers, which are used in the production of solar cells. The two companies signed an 11-year, 5-gigawatts supply deal in September 2008.
Regulators at the Federal Cartel Office are expected to make a preliminary decision within a month, at which time they may choose to evaluate the proposal for an additional four months, if they are concerned about disruptions to competition in the market.
The companies have not yet provided information about the nature of the joint venture.
