LG had a fatal accident at its P8-1 panel fab in Paju, Korea and the fab has been shut down for repair and for the authorities to investigate the problem. The plant is expected to be out of operation for two to four weeks and that will have an impact on the supply of large LCD panels. In a month, the fab would normally produce up to 715,000 m² of output according to Witsview, around 5.8% of global capacity in G8.5.
Panel supply is just heading into the tightest period of the year, as panel makers ramp up volume to produce panels for inclusion into TVs for the holiday season. Although inventories seem to be reasonably strong, panel makers may also use a tightening of supply to try to keep panel prices firmer, although this may be a limited opportunity as LG Display makes IPS panels, whereas others mainly make VA TV panels.
