TSMC and other chip factories will solve the local sewage problem and promise to recycle 75% of the water used
TSMC is participating in a plan in Japan to protect groundwater resources by flooding abandoned rice paddies, as people are concerned that its chip factory in Kumamoto Prefecture may lead to water shortages in the area. The main source of water for the local lakes comes from water gushing out from underground, and the water level has dropped significantly since the 1970s.
Teruyuki Otaguro, a resident of Kumamoto Prefecture, currently serves as the Secretary General of the Groundwater Protection Committee. The organization arranges for about a dozen rice farmers to collect water from their unused rice fields during the winter months, allowing the water to seep back into the ground. Kumamoto's other similar organizations are partially funded by other companies operating in the region, such as TSMC and Sony.
TSMC is building two chip factories in Kumamoto County to try to diversify its manufacturing footprint, which has been concentrated in Taiwan, China, China for a long time. The arrival of TSMC triggered an investment boom among Japanese and Taiwan, China suppliers.
Semiconductor manufacturing requires a lot of things, from experienced engineers to lithography machines worth billions of dollars. But what people rarely discuss is the large amount of water it requires. Advanced chip factories use thousands of tons of water every day, mainly for cleaning silicon wafers during the production process.
This is a problem for Kumamoto and its surrounding area of approximately 1000 square kilometers. About one million people heavily rely on groundwater. This is because the land is covered by volcanic ash from Mount Aso in the east, which has a permeability comparable to natural sand, "said Tsutomu Ichikawa, an honorary professor at Donghai University.
The rate at which rainwater and agricultural water are absorbed by rice paddies is 5 to 10 times that of other regions in Japan. This water gradually flows towards the sea at a slow rate, averaging about 1 kilometer per year. It takes about 20 years for rainfall near Mount Aso to reach Kumamoto City. This is the largest region in Japan and one of the rarest in the world, with so many people drinking the same groundwater, "said Tsutomu Ichikawa.
Kumamoto residents can directly drink mineral rich water from the faucet. The region has also become a base for brewers to produce shochu, sake, and other alcoholic beverages.
But as more and more farmland was paved and the number of rice fields decreased, groundwater resources began to decline sharply in the 1970s. Local governments have been encouraging farmers to replenish groundwater since the beginning of the 21st century, which has helped to raise water levels. Kumamoto Prefecture has also revised its guidelines, requiring major water users to return the amount of water they use.
However, the recent arrival of TSMC has raised new concerns.
This chip manufacturer estimates that starting from 2028, its two factories will consume approximately 8 million tons of groundwater, equivalent to about 5% of the current annual groundwater supply in the Kumamoto region.
Tsutomu Ichikawa from Donghai University said, "In addition to the amount of groundwater extracted for use, the reduction of (potential) water infiltration may also become a major issue." The new roads and infrastructure driven by chip investment will cover more land. In addition, population aging and population decline have led to more farmers completely abandoning the industry.
TSMC has been actively replenishing water resources. According to the Xiong Local Water Foundation, which covers 11 municipalities, the company has committed to recycling approximately 2 million tons of water underground.
JASM, the operator of TSMC's Kumamoto factory, recently announced a partnership with municipalities and agricultural collectives to purchase local rice at a price higher than the market and supply it to the factory's cafeteria. The cooperation aims to promote rice cultivation in the region, thereby increasing water infiltration.
JASM President Yuichi Horita announced the plan on August 6th, stating that the company is "committed to protecting this precious resource... We are constantly striving to reduce water usage and improve recycling rates through industry-leading water resource management
JASM previously announced plans to recycle 75% of the water in the factory.
However, the farmer led groundwater recharge work faces many challenges. For example, farmers can only earn about 4 yen (3 cents) for every ton of groundwater injected, which is much less than the reward for planting crops such as carrots. Moreover, many farmers in Teruyuki Otaguro's organization are over 70 years old and may soon retire.
Kimio Katsuya, secretary-general of Xiong Local Water Foundation, said that another challenge was to involve Taiwan, China suppliers in these efforts.
"We expect that by the end of this year, when TSMC's factory starts to operate, the cooperative company will also start to be more active in Kumamoto," he said. The foundation has not yet contacted suppliers in Taiwan, China.
However, most farmers are involved in the arduous work of replenishing groundwater to protect the water resources that are crucial to their lives.
JASM didn't come to us asking for anything, "Teruyuki Otaguro said. We just want to provide services for Kumamoto's future
TSMC is building two chip factories in Kumamoto County to try to diversify its manufacturing footprint, which has been concentrated in Taiwan, China, China for a long time. The arrival of TSMC triggered an investment boom among Japanese and Taiwan, China suppliers.
Semiconductor manufacturing requires a lot of things, from experienced engineers to lithography machines worth billions of dollars. But what people rarely discuss is the large amount of water it requires. Advanced chip factories use thousands of tons of water every day, mainly for cleaning silicon wafers during the production process.
This is a problem for Kumamoto and its surrounding area of approximately 1000 square kilometers. About one million people heavily rely on groundwater. This is because the land is covered by volcanic ash from Mount Aso in the east, which has a permeability comparable to natural sand, "said Tsutomu Ichikawa, an honorary professor at Donghai University.
The rate at which rainwater and agricultural water are absorbed by rice paddies is 5 to 10 times that of other regions in Japan. This water gradually flows towards the sea at a slow rate, averaging about 1 kilometer per year. It takes about 20 years for rainfall near Mount Aso to reach Kumamoto City. This is the largest region in Japan and one of the rarest in the world, with so many people drinking the same groundwater, "said Tsutomu Ichikawa.
Kumamoto residents can directly drink mineral rich water from the faucet. The region has also become a base for brewers to produce shochu, sake, and other alcoholic beverages.
But as more and more farmland was paved and the number of rice fields decreased, groundwater resources began to decline sharply in the 1970s. Local governments have been encouraging farmers to replenish groundwater since the beginning of the 21st century, which has helped to raise water levels. Kumamoto Prefecture has also revised its guidelines, requiring major water users to return the amount of water they use.
However, the recent arrival of TSMC has raised new concerns.
This chip manufacturer estimates that starting from 2028, its two factories will consume approximately 8 million tons of groundwater, equivalent to about 5% of the current annual groundwater supply in the Kumamoto region.
Tsutomu Ichikawa from Donghai University said, "In addition to the amount of groundwater extracted for use, the reduction of (potential) water infiltration may also become a major issue." The new roads and infrastructure driven by chip investment will cover more land. In addition, population aging and population decline have led to more farmers completely abandoning the industry.
TSMC has been actively replenishing water resources. According to the Xiong Local Water Foundation, which covers 11 municipalities, the company has committed to recycling approximately 2 million tons of water underground.
JASM, the operator of TSMC's Kumamoto factory, recently announced a partnership with municipalities and agricultural collectives to purchase local rice at a price higher than the market and supply it to the factory's cafeteria. The cooperation aims to promote rice cultivation in the region, thereby increasing water infiltration.
JASM President Yuichi Horita announced the plan on August 6th, stating that the company is "committed to protecting this precious resource... We are constantly striving to reduce water usage and improve recycling rates through industry-leading water resource management
JASM previously announced plans to recycle 75% of the water in the factory.
However, the farmer led groundwater recharge work faces many challenges. For example, farmers can only earn about 4 yen (3 cents) for every ton of groundwater injected, which is much less than the reward for planting crops such as carrots. Moreover, many farmers in Teruyuki Otaguro's organization are over 70 years old and may soon retire.
Kimio Katsuya, secretary-general of Xiong Local Water Foundation, said that another challenge was to involve Taiwan, China suppliers in these efforts.
"We expect that by the end of this year, when TSMC's factory starts to operate, the cooperative company will also start to be more active in Kumamoto," he said. The foundation has not yet contacted suppliers in Taiwan, China.
However, most farmers are involved in the arduous work of replenishing groundwater to protect the water resources that are crucial to their lives.
JASM didn't come to us asking for anything, "Teruyuki Otaguro said. We just want to provide services for Kumamoto's future