Local chipmakers and LCD panelmakers are seeking alternative water sources — including hiring water trucks to transport water from remote areas — to brace for more stringent water restrictions as the nation’s most severe water shortage in 67 years deepens.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday decided to implement stricter water rationing in some major industrial parks in Taoyuan, New Taipei City’s (新北市) Linkou District (林口) and Miaoli County.
Industrial users in those areas will face cutbacks in their water supply of 10 percent from next month, up from the current 7.5 percent.
Semiconductor companies and LCD manufacturers are among the biggest water consumers in the nation.
Innolux Corp (群創), which operates 14 LCD manufacturing plants, including the most advanced 8.5-generation plant in Miaoli, said the third-phase water restriction measures could have a significant impact on its production lines.
The company plans to get additional water supplies from recycled water stored in the factory and an adjacent water storage tank in the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區).
Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技), the nation’s biggest DRAM chipmaker, based in Linkou, said the latest water restrictions would not affect its production in the short term, thanks to its well-equipped water storage system.
Companies operating factories in the Hsinchu Science Park will not face a major impact from the new restrictions, as water supply to heavy industrial users will be reduced by 7.5 percent, compared with the current 5 percent.
“At this stage, we do not see [the restrictions having] any impact,” United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) chief financial executive Liu Chitung (劉啟東) said by telephone.
UMC is the nation’s second-biggest contract chipmaker.
“The company is ready with backup water supply plans such as transporting water by water trucks from other areas,” Liu said.
Hsinchu-based AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電), the nation’s second-largest panelmaker also said it would hire water trucks if the situation worsens.
In the meantime, AUO is to use its own water storage tank to offset the reduced supply, the firm said.
The company also said its water consumption has been dropping, as its water recycling ratio at its advanced plants is set to reach 90 percent by the end of the year, while the one at Taoyuan’s Longtan (龍潭) is set to reach 100 percent.
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