Torrential rains brought by Typhoon Haitang have polluted water supplies and damaged pipelines in Taiwan, causing shortages in six industrial zones in southern Taiwan and losses of more than NT$100 million a day, according to a Chinese-language report yesterday.
The water supplies of more than 300 companies in the industrial zones were only 40 percent of normal volume, forcing the manufacturers, including China Man-made Fiber Corp (中纖), Grand Pacific Petrochemical Corp (國喬石化) and TSRC Corp (台橡) to buy and transport more water to maintain their operations, the report said.
Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc (日月光半導體), the world's biggest packager of semiconductors, said production in its Kaohsiung factories was normal and would not influence orders after the company purchased water, as well as using stored water from its tank, company sources said.
Part of the activities of 46 manufacturers in Jenta Industrial District, where petrochemical plants are concentrated, were suspended because of the shortage, causing losses of over NT$100 million a day, the report said, citing Jenta service center manager Liao Wen-sheng (廖文森).
Jenta normally consumes 500,000 tonnes of water per day, but only 230,000 tonnes per day have been supplied since the typhoon, the report said, citing Liao.
Manufacturers in Tainan Science Park (
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