TSMC building water reclamation plant for Phoenix facilities
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An artist's rendering of TSMC's industrial wastewater reclamation plant, which the company broke ground on this month. Image: Courtesy of TSMC
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. broke ground this month on a reclamation plant to reuse "nearly every drop of water" at its massive north Phoenix manufacturing complex, the company announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: Water is a precious commodity in the Valley, and TSMC began operations in Phoenix at a time when the Colorado River basin is in a long-term "megadrought."
- Semiconductor manufacturing consumes a significant amount of water.
State of play: TSMC's planned 15-acre Industrial Reclamation Water Plant will support its first two manufacturing facilities, known as fabs, and is expected to be operational in 2028, the company said.
- TSMC can expand the plant to accommodate additional fabs.
By the numbers: When the three Phoenix fabs are completed, they're projected to use a combined 16.4 million gallons of water daily, the Arizona Republic reported last year.
- But due to the company's water reuse and recycling efforts, the city will have to provide only about 4.2 million gallons.
Zoom in: The plant will convert industrial wastewater into "ultrapure" water to wash microscopic particles from the silicon disks used to make computer chips.
- TSMC's fabs also require water for cooling towers and pollution-controlling devices called scrubbers, in addition to standard usage for any industrial complex.
- The plant is expected to reach an 85% recycling rate when operations begin, and TSMC plans to expand that to 90% or higher.
- The Phoenix plant is partly modeled on TSMC's water reclamation facilities in Taiwan, but it also has unique elements due to higher levels of magnesium and calcium in Phoenix water.
The latest: The first fab uses about 4.75 million gallons daily, 65% of which is recycled water, the company said.
What they're saying: "We know that water is a constant concern in the region. We will be a responsible corporate neighbor in our use of natural resources, including water," TSMC Arizona president Rose Castanares said in a press statement.
- Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego praised the news, saying TSMC's water reclamation will "support advanced manufacturing and the good jobs that come with it, protect our desert environment and neighborhoods."
Catch up quick: Chip production began at the company's first fab in late 2024.
- A second fab was completed in April, with production slated to begin in 2028, though the company is looking to accelerate that timeline.
- Construction began on a third fab in April.