TSMC is building a water purification plant in Tainan to come on-stream at the end of the year.

TSMC LED fab Hsinchu

The plan follows Taiwan’s worst drought in 50 years.

The plant will be for TSMC’s sole use and will process re-used industrial water for its fabs.

According to TSMC the plant will be the world’s first such advanced industrial wastewater treatment centre.

The intention is that it could eventually supply ultimately nearly half of TSMC’s daily need for water.

“It will gradually ramp up the treatment capacity of industrial wastewater and by 2024 will be able to generate 67,000 tons of water daily that can go back into to the chipmaking process,” says TSMC svp Laura Ho.

TSMC currently uses 156,000 tons of water a day. It recycled 133.6 million tons of water in 2019 but only some of it was pure enough to be re-used in the chip manufacturing process.

The Taiwan government has started rationing water two days a week and is digging multiple wells.

TSMC says it has long prepared for this eventuality.

“We are continuing our collaborative efforts with the government as well as with the private sector,” says CEO C.C.Wei, “we do not expect to see any material impact on our operations.”

By: DocMemory
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