• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Why is TSMC building new factories in a drought ridden area, when these factories require loads of water?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Space Lynx

Astronaut
Joined
Oct 17, 2014
Messages
15,800 (4.58/day)
Location
Kepler-186f

I don't get it. Seriously, there are Republican states that would give same tax breaks that surround the five Great Lakes... seems like long term strategically speaking, if it were my 12 billion dollars... I would want to build it where I know water will be plentiful and cheap.

@TheLostSwede thoughts?
 
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
12,014 (1.86/day)
Location
Nebraska, USA
System Name Brightworks Systems BWS-6 E-IV
Processor Intel Core i5-6600 @ 3.9GHz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 Rev 1.0
Cooling Quality case, 2 x Fractal Design 140mm fans, stock CPU HSF
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 3000 Corsair Vengeance
Video Card(s) EVGA GEForce GTX 1050Ti 4Gb GDDR5
Storage Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD, Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD
Display(s) Samsung S24E650BW LED x 2
Case Fractal Design Define R4
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 550W G2 Gold
Mouse Logitech M190
Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5050
Software W10 Pro 64-bit
when these factories require loads of water?
Says who? Water would be a contaminate in those wafers. So no, loads of water is not needed in the production of chips. Land is cheap in comparison and skilled workers are plentiful in Arizona. Plus, winters are mild.

And while technically there is a drought in parts of the southwest, it is an arid desert environment anyway and there is still plenty of water to last for decades to come.
 

Space Lynx

Astronaut
Joined
Oct 17, 2014
Messages
15,800 (4.58/day)
Location
Kepler-186f
Says who? Water would be a contaminate in those wafers. So no, loads of water is not needed in the production of chips. Land is cheap in comparison and skilled workers are plentiful in Arizona. Plus, winters are mild.

And while technically there is a drought in parts of the southwest, it is an arid desert environment anyway and there is still plenty of water to last for decades to come.

ah you must not know...

 
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
12,014 (1.86/day)
Location
Nebraska, USA
System Name Brightworks Systems BWS-6 E-IV
Processor Intel Core i5-6600 @ 3.9GHz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 Rev 1.0
Cooling Quality case, 2 x Fractal Design 140mm fans, stock CPU HSF
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 3000 Corsair Vengeance
Video Card(s) EVGA GEForce GTX 1050Ti 4Gb GDDR5
Storage Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD, Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD
Display(s) Samsung S24E650BW LED x 2
Case Fractal Design Define R4
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 550W G2 Gold
Mouse Logitech M190
Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5050
Software W10 Pro 64-bit
My bad. I did a poor job :oops: of explaining myself. Sorry. Let me clarify.

You are right and a lot of water is used in the production of the chips and in the cooling towers, etc. But it is not like that water is used once then dumped down the sewers. It is cleaned and recycled over and over again.

I actually grew up in Tucson and lived quite a few years in the Phoenix area, as well as in Albuquerque, NM. I worked in copper mines in Arizona before I joined the Air Force and they certainly use a lot of water in mining and refining the ore.

But Arizona does not just let manufacturers (or anybody else) come in and build factories that waste water. They have to prove they will use the available water wisely.

If the drought were as bad as you appear to be suggesting, lawns would banned in Phoenix and other areas since grass lawns really suck up the water - and it is not recovered. But lawns are not banned - yet. Maybe some day if the monsoons don't replenish the reservoirs and mountain lakes sufficiently, they may have to take more drastic measures. But as long as factories are able to recycle the water they use, they are not a big deal. Lawns and swimming pools are another story.

So yes, the factories may use a lot of water, but they use it over and over again. So big difference.
 

newtekie1

Semi-Retired Folder
Joined
Nov 22, 2005
Messages
28,472 (4.25/day)
Location
Indiana, USA
Processor Intel Core i7 10850K@5.2GHz
Motherboard AsRock Z470 Taichi
Cooling Corsair H115i Pro w/ Noctua NF-A14 Fans
Memory 32GB DDR4-3600
Video Card(s) RTX 2070 Super
Storage 500GB SX8200 Pro + 8TB with 1TB SSD Cache
Display(s) Acer Nitro VG280K 4K 28"
Case Fractal Design Define S
Audio Device(s) Onboard is good enough for me
Power Supply eVGA SuperNOVA 1000w G3
Software Windows 10 Pro x64
If they are smart about it they'll just filter the water on-site and re-use it.

But there is still plenty of water in Arizona too, and New Mexico(where Intel has a big fab). There is Lake Meade, Lake Powell, the Colorado River. Yes, parts of Arizona are desert, but obviously it isn't all dry deserter, because there are are some pretty big cities there.
 
D

Deleted member 202104

Guest
My bad. I did a poor job :oops: of explaining myself. Sorry. Let me clarify.

You are right and a lot of water is used in the production of the chips and in the cooling towers, etc. But it is not like that water is used once then dumped down the sewers. It is cleaned and recycled over and over again.

I actually grew up in Tucson and lived quite a few years in the Phoenix area, as well as in Albuquerque, NM. I worked in copper mines in Arizona before I joined the Air Force and they certainly use a lot of water in mining and refining the ore.

But Arizona does not just let manufacturers (or anybody else) come in and build factories that waste water. They have to prove they will use the available water wisely.

If the drought were as bad as you appear to be suggesting, lawns would banned in Phoenix and other areas since grass lawns really suck up the water - and it is not recovered. But lawns are not banned - yet. Maybe some day if the monsoons don't replenish the reservoirs and mountain lakes sufficiently, they may have to take more drastic measures. But as long as factories are able to recycle the water they use, they are not a big deal. Lawns and swimming pools are another story.

So yes, the factories may use a lot of water, but they use it over and over again. So big difference.
You didn't even read the article. You're still wrong.
 
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
12,014 (1.86/day)
Location
Nebraska, USA
System Name Brightworks Systems BWS-6 E-IV
Processor Intel Core i5-6600 @ 3.9GHz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 Rev 1.0
Cooling Quality case, 2 x Fractal Design 140mm fans, stock CPU HSF
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 3000 Corsair Vengeance
Video Card(s) EVGA GEForce GTX 1050Ti 4Gb GDDR5
Storage Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD, Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD
Display(s) Samsung S24E650BW LED x 2
Case Fractal Design Define R4
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 550W G2 Gold
Mouse Logitech M190
Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5050
Software W10 Pro 64-bit
You didn't even read the article. You're still wrong.
Gee whiz. I did read it. Did you read what I said, that you quoted? Did you read where newteckie1 said the same thing I did?

Yes, they use lots of water. But then they reuse it over and over again.

Do you realize that Arizona is in the Rocky Mountains? Do you know what happens in the mountains in the winter?

And again, Arizona would not approve such factories if their use of water would be that big of a threat.
 
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
12,014 (1.86/day)
Location
Nebraska, USA
System Name Brightworks Systems BWS-6 E-IV
Processor Intel Core i5-6600 @ 3.9GHz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 Rev 1.0
Cooling Quality case, 2 x Fractal Design 140mm fans, stock CPU HSF
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 3000 Corsair Vengeance
Video Card(s) EVGA GEForce GTX 1050Ti 4Gb GDDR5
Storage Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD, Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD
Display(s) Samsung S24E650BW LED x 2
Case Fractal Design Define R4
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 550W G2 Gold
Mouse Logitech M190
Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5050
Software W10 Pro 64-bit
Welcome to TPU Fight Club folks
I know. Its sad. I swear some come just to argue. Even if you apologize for making a mistake, they argue. :(
 

64K

Joined
Mar 13, 2014
Messages
6,104 (1.66/day)
Processor i7 7700k
Motherboard MSI Z270 SLI Plus
Cooling CM Hyper 212 EVO
Memory 2 x 8 GB Corsair Vengeance
Video Card(s) MSI RTX 2070 Super
Storage Samsung 850 EVO 250 GB and WD Black 4TB
Display(s) Dell 27 inch 1440p 144 Hz
Case Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply EVGA SuperNova 850 W Gold
Mouse Logitech G502
Keyboard Logitech G105
Software Windows 10
The drought in Taiwan is just going to add to the chip shortage and the new fabs in Arizona aren't going to come online for a few years.

What else can go wrong?
 
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
12,014 (1.86/day)
Location
Nebraska, USA
System Name Brightworks Systems BWS-6 E-IV
Processor Intel Core i5-6600 @ 3.9GHz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 Rev 1.0
Cooling Quality case, 2 x Fractal Design 140mm fans, stock CPU HSF
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 3000 Corsair Vengeance
Video Card(s) EVGA GEForce GTX 1050Ti 4Gb GDDR5
Storage Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD, Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD
Display(s) Samsung S24E650BW LED x 2
Case Fractal Design Define R4
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 550W G2 Gold
Mouse Logitech M190
Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5050
Software W10 Pro 64-bit
Not here for that.
and New Mexico(where Intel has a big fab).
I am so upset about that too. I lived in Albuquerque from 75 to 82 when Intel first built that huge facility in Rio Rancho (just across the Rio Grande from Albuquerque). If I only had some extra $$$ to invest in Intel then, I would be filthy rich now. A friend got out of the AF and started working as a low level electronics tech making barely over minimum wage. But with stock options, he is rolling in it now.

The drought in Taiwan
Yeah, but droughts in Taiwan are totally different than those in Arizona. Arizona has dealt with dry conditions forever.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top