A US-based firm is establishing a bamboo processing factory at the Port of Suao in Yilan County, Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC, 台灣港務) announced.
TieBam Inc (竺豐), which established a subsidiary in Taiwan in 2018, specializes in the densification and processing of bamboo into durable, environmentally sustainable railway ties, TIPC said.
The railway tie market has faced challenges over the past few years due to restrictions on the supply of wood amid growing awareness of environmental issues, it said.
“To address eco-sustainability and new market needs, TieBam developed and patented an innovative bamboo densification technique that allows the use of this fast-growing material in high-performance industrial applications,” TIPC said, adding that densified bamboo ties are stronger and more durable than traditional wood ties.
They are also more cost-effective and have a significantly lower impact on the environment, it said.
TIPC said that its office in Keelung on Oct. 24 last year began reviewing the qualifications of contractors interested in leasing the No. 4 warehouse at the port.
TieBam was chosen as the most qualified contractor, the company said, adding that the two sides signed a lease at the end of last month.
TIPC said that TieBam would have bamboo delivered from Southeast Asian nations to its warehouse, where the material would be processed into railway ties for shipment to buyers worldwide.
TieBam is to spend NT$200 million (US$6.64 million) building the facility at the port, which is expected to be ready for commercial production at the end of next year, TIPC said.
“The facility should generate about NT$1.6 billion in annual revenue in the initial stage, with annual revenue expected to rise to NT$6 billion over time. The facility is also expected to create about 100 new jobs. We look forward to the increase in foreign investment at the Port of Suao, which would raise its shipping volumes and revenue, as well as spur the growth of industry clusters,” the company said.
RECORD BUDGET: TSMC does plan to raise its proposed capital expenditure a lot, and could benefit if Intel outsources more of its production to foundries, analysts said Intel Corp’s earnings conference call on Thursday is expected to clarify the US semiconductor giant’s outsourcing production plans, which would be crucial regarding Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) performance, analysts said. “TSMC stands to benefit if Intel outsources more of its fabrication to foundries,” SinoPac Securities Investment Service Corp (永豐投顧) analysts said in a note on Friday. Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co (元大投顧) was more cautious, saying that Intel’s contribution initially would be limited, but its outsourcing plans would still highlight TSMC’s leadership in technology, it added. “Intel will continue to manufacture server or high-end central processing units [CPUs], which have higher
MediaTek Inc (聯發科) yesterday announced it would give incentive bonuses totaling NT$1.7 billion (US$59.7 million) to its employees and those at the firm’s major subsidiaries, after the smartphone chip supplier’s revenue hit US$10 billion last year. This is the biggest incentive bonus the Hsinchu-based handset chip designer has ever distributed in its 23-year history. About 17,000 full-time employees of MediaTek and five of its subsidiaries, including Richtek Technology Corp (立錡科技) and Airoha Technology Corp (絡達科技), would receive a “red envelope” of NT$100,000 each, the company said. “Surpassing US$10 billion is just the beginning. We will continue to [grow] on this basis,” MediaTek
TO SPUR REVENUE: The contract chipmaker expects its profit to grow 15 percent this year, outpacing the foundry industry’s projected advance of about 10 percent Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday raised its projected capital spending for this year by 62 percent, a new high, in an attempt to satisfy customer demand for advanced technologies in the production of central processing units, high-performance-computing (HPC) devices and 5G applications. After investing US$17.24 billion last year, TSMC this year plans to spend US$25 billion to US$28 billion on manufacturing equipment and new facilities, including a fab in the US. About 80 percent of the budget would be allocated for developing advanced technologies including 3, 5 and 7-nanometer technologies, the company said. The larger-than-expected capital spending prompted speculation
Norway’s oil and gas reserves have made it one of the world’s wealthiest countries, but its dreams for deep-sea discovery now center on something different. This time, Oslo is looking for a leading role in mining copper, zinc and other metals found on the seabed and in hot demand in green technologies. The country could license companies for deep-sea mining as early as 2023, the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy said, potentially placing it among the first countries to harvest seabed metals for electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines and solar farms. However, that could also place it on the front line of