Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday reiterated its plans for comprehensive water treatment and recycling facilities in Arizona, following reports that it could get mired down in “water politics” in the drought-affected US state.
TSMC said in a statement that it plans to construct a water recycling facility to meet the needs of its advanced wafer fabs in Phoenix, adding that it would also build a comprehensive wastewater treatment system to reduce consumption and increase efficiency.
The statement came after the US-based weekly Barron’s on Friday reported that TSMC might need to compete with agricultural users and Native American tribes in Arizona for access to water.
Photo: CNA
The report said Intel Corp’s advanced fabs in Arizona are expected to place additional pressure on TSMC’s water supply.
Citing an estimate from Phoenix officials, the report said TSMC could require up to 40,000 acre-feet (49 million cubic meters) of water a year if it builds six fabs as reported by foreign media, enough to supply 160,000 homes.
TSMC said it has been in contact with Phoenix officials since the initial planning stages of its fabs to ensure that it has sufficient water supplies.
TSMC in December last year said it would expand its investment in Arizona to US$40 billion from the original US$12 billion.
The company is to build a 4-nanometer and a 3-nanometer fab in the state, with the former expected to start mass production next year and the latter in 2026.
TSMC said that, to its knowledge, the authorities in Phoenix are keen to invest in water-related infrastructure to create a sustainable supply.
Phoenix, which can draw on water sources including the Colorado River, the Verde River, the Salt River and underground aquifers, has been designated by the state of Arizona as having a 100-year supply of water, TSMC said.
The company said wastewater released from its facilities would adhere to standards higher than those required by Arizona regulations.
STRONG INTEREST: Analysts have pointed to optimism in TSMC’s growth prospects in the artificial intelligence era as the cause of the rising number of shareholders The number of people holding shares of chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) hit a new high last week despite a decline in its stock price, the Taiwan Depository and Clearing Corp (TDCC, 台灣集保) said. The number of TSMC shareholders rose to 2.46 million as of Friday, up 75,536 from a week earlier, TDCC data showed. The stock price fell 1.34 percent during the same week to close at NT$1,840 (US$57.55). The decline in TSMC’s share price resulted from volatility in global tech stocks, driven by rising international crude oil prices as the war against Iran continues. Dealers said
PRICE HIKES: The war in the Middle East would not significantly disrupt supply in the short term, but semiconductor companies are facing price surges for materials Taiwan’s semiconductor companies are not facing imminent supply disruptions of essential chemicals or raw materials due to the war in the Middle East, but surges in material costs loom large, industry association SEMI Taiwan said yesterday. The association’s comments came amid growing concerns that supplies of helium and other key raw materials used in semiconductor production could become a choke point after Qatar shut down its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and helium output earlier this month due to the conflict. Qatar is the second-largest LNG supplier in the world and accounts for about 33 percent of global helium output. Helium is
Taiwan’s natural gas supply remains stable through the end of May, despite rising concerns about potential disruptions to Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies due to escalating conflicts in the Middle East, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan has completed preparations for natural gas supply and shipping schedules through the end of May. It has also made plans to increase natural gas imports from regions outside the Middle East in June to ensure a stable supply, it added. Taiwan sources natural gas from 14 countries and is not solely dependent on the Middle East,
China is clamping down on fertilizer exports to protect its domestic market, industry sources said, putting an additional strain on global markets that were already grappling with shortages caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran. China is among the largest fertilizer exporters — shipping more than US$13 billion of it last year — and it has a history of controlling exports to keep prices low for farmers. Shipments through the war-blocked Strait of Hormuz account for about one-third of the sea-borne supply. This month, Beijing banned exports of nitrogen-potassium fertilizer blends and certain phosphate varieties, sources said. The ban, which has not
RSS