Innovative technologies are reducing the environmental impact of a water-intensive industry critical to the modern economy, writes Justin Winter, Senior Portfolio Manager at Impax Asset Management.
Semiconductor chips are critical to the modern economy, from powering cloud computing to managing vehicle systems. Making them is a thirsty process, however. With global semiconductor manufacturing expanding rapidly, reducing the water intensity of processes is key to making the industry more sustainable and resilient.
Investment in new and expanded semiconductor fabrication plants (‘fabs’) is soaring to meet growing demand and as part of the reshoring trend, it is affecting certain strategic industries. Having averaged USD 93 billion a year between 2017 and 2020, annual global investment in fabs has been forecast to average USD 147 billion between 2021 and 2024 (source: Bloomberg, 2023; Barclays Research).
This boom translates into greater chipmaking capacity. In turn, this increases the industry’s demand for water: the global semiconductor industry uses an estimated 1.2 million megalitres of water every year. Large volumes of ultra-pure water are used to clean the silicon wafers placed in chips and to maintain a clean environment.
More investment in wastewater treatment and reuse
The need for a reliable water supply, combined with potential cost savings, is driving investment in wastewater treatment and reuse by semiconductor makers. Local environmental considerations are an important factor too: many current and proposed fabs are in areas at risk of water scarcity, including Taiwan, South Korea and parts of the US.
For example, TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, plans to construct a water recycling plant at a new Arizona fab to meet 65% of the facility’s needs.By 2030, the Taiwanese company aims to have increased its rate of water reuse by more than 30% across its operations, compared to 2010. South Korean peer SK Hynix aims to reuse three times more water in 2030 compared to 2019. [1]
Innovative technologies can enable treated wastewater to be used as feedwater for the ultrapure water systems needed in the chipmaking process. Waste streams contain many contaminants that are difficult to remove.
To overcome this, fabs are increasingly segregating wastewater streams for bespoke treatment methods rather than treating one combined stream in bulk. TSMC, for example, splits effluent streams into 38 categories (up from 10 in 2001) and requires 13 targeted wastewater treatment trains.
More specialist solutions needed
More rigorous treatment creates opportunities for comprehensive wastewater monitoring and digital analytics solutions that can target specific components, as well as sensors that can detect the presence of specific ions.
As global semiconductor production rises, specialist solutions that enable greater water recycling within fabs will be needed to meet the industry’s thirst for operational resilience and lower costs.
By reducing the negative environmental impact of water consumption, particularly in water-stressed regions, these technologies also help align a critical fast-growing industry with the transition to a more sustainable economy.
Also read Investing in a critical global resource: water by Impax Asset Management discussing the fundamental drivers of the global water industry’s growth and regulation
References
[1] These companies are mentioned for informative and illustration purposes only. This does not constitute investment advice.
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