Water Resource Management

UMC Water Resources Management Policy and Commitment

Due to the increasingly frequent occurrence of floods and droughts caused by climate change in recent years, stakeholders have become more concerned about water resource issues. Water resources are also an indispensable resource for semiconductor manufacturing processes. To proactively address complex water resource issues, UMC established the " Water Resources Management Policy and Commitment " and signed off by CEO in 2015, which serves as the Company's highest guiding principle for water resource management.

 

Policy

Maximize water efficiency, improve the tolerance ability of upstream and downstream value chains to water risks, and promote attention to and conservation of water resources.

 

Commitment

  1. Introduce water risk management system
  2. Develop and utilize diverse water sources
  3. Use active management indicators to promote water conservation
  4. Cooperate with supply chains to reduce water footprint
  5. Provide open and transparent water information
  6. Widely promote water education

 

Water Efficiency Management Programs

Water use assessment to identify opportunities for water efficiency improvements.
UMC has established a water resource monitoring system coupled with on-site facility management personnel to control the consumption of major water-using units within the plant. Monthly statistics of water usage for each unit are compiled into water balance diagrams and calculations of the plant-wide and process water recycling rates. By identifying water hotspots and monitoring actual water usage through the plant's water balance information, water assessment opportunities are identified and water-saving plans are implemented. Ultimately, through parallel promotion across plants, UMC continuously improves water use efficiency.

 

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Water Saving

The Company’s principle of water utilization is first to incorporate water-saving design in manufacturing processes, then focus on boosting water recycling and reuse. Combined with efficient water management, consumption can be effectively reduced. UMC continues to implement improvement measures for water recycling and reuse, and actively sets progressive water saving goals to guide policies and performance.

 

Eight Water Saving Measurement

  1. Develop policy and implement effective water conservation.
  2. Recover resource, and curb and reduce resource use.
  3. Continue to improve and integrate with environmental protection.
  4. Through daily management approaches, achieve management outcome.
  5. Divert wastewater, implement multiple re-use and optimize water efficiency.
  6. Establish water resources management system, compare with water consumption balance diagram and use water rationally.
  7. Integration and sharing of technological resources by the Fab Technical Committee.
  8. Directly incorporate water saving measures into regulations for newly constructed fabs.

 

The reduction targets and plans

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Water Recycling and Reuse

With the water-saving, consumption-reduction and recovery measures continuously promoted over the years, UMC Group achieved an additional water saving of approximately 825,000 tonnes in 2023, with a cumulative water saving reaching 5.47 million tonnes. Moreover, the recycling rates of manufacturing processes in all plants exceed local regulatory standards, with UMC's process water recycling rate reaching 84.3%. Through strategies such as water saving, recycling and reuse, and reduction of ultra-pure water in processes, UMC Group successfully met the environmental phased targets for reducing water usage per unit of product.
In addition, in response to global climate change and the impact of extreme weather, UMC has been actively promoting measures for coping with water-related disasters such as floods and droughts, to minimize potential operational impacts.

 

Manufacturing-process Recycling Rate

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Note: Manufacturing-process water recycling rate of UMC (company-wide) = (All fabs' manufacturing-process water withdrawal ÷ UMC's total manufacturing process water withdrawal) x Sum of all fabs' manufacturing-process water recycling rate.

 

Communication and Public Participation

In addition to internal water resource management and active promotion of water saving, UMC also serves as a representative in the industry’s professional associations. The company works closely with the government and industry peers in communicating and advising on water management. UMC also contribute to initiatives by the Taiwan Water Corporation, including emergency responses to water shortage and improvement in reservoir water quality, to jointly stabilize the supply and quality of regional water bodies and ensure the continuity of municipal water supply.

 

  1. Attended water resources communication meetings convened by the Water Resources Agency and manufacturers’ associations.
  2. Supported coordination of water resources by the Water Resources Agency (WRA) during dry season.
  3. Assessed the utilization of reclaimed water to align with the Water Resources Agency's reclaimed water facilities.
  4. Established a communication platform with the WRA to meet future water supply and demand.

 

 

Exchange and Counseling with Industry Peers

UMC has participated annually in water saving coaching sessions in the Science Park since 2002. As of 2023, the program has conducted a total of 239 sessions and coached more than 100 companies. Water saving by companies coached by UMC has reached an accumulated amount of 1.28 million tonnes over 4 years (2020~2023). Companies counseled by UMC in 2023 are estimated to have potential water saving of 407,000 tonnes per year. Tracking the 10 companies which were coached by UMC in 2022, the actual water-saving volume during year 2022 was 397,000 tonnes of water.
By sharing the Company's valuable experience with peers, it can not only reduce the overall industry's dependence on natural water resources, but also promote regional exchanges and cooperation.

 

Water Pollution Control

UMC’s water pollution control include process source reduction and waste liquid diversion, followed treatment by classification. New fab areas have up to 27 categories of wastewater diversion, which are divided into solvent-based (reused or incinerated depending on flash points), inorganic acids (reused), and wastewater (multiple reuse according to classification). The process simplifies the composition of wastewater before it is treated in the fab’s wastewater treatment facilities to the control standards of the Science Park Administration and discharged into the science park sewage systems. For real-time monitoring and response, equipment for continuous monitoring of water quality (pH, fluoride ion concentration) and water quantity are installed, and SPC management is adopted for self and early prevention to ensure that the quality of water discharged into the sewage complies with control regulations. In addition, the Science Park Administration conducts monthly unscheduled and random quality inspection of water discharged by different companies to reaffirm the quality of discharged water.
In addition, UMC has planned wastewater quality improvement targets, with the aim that key water pollution indicators will exceed regulatory standards by achieving a reduction rate of 70% by the year 2030.

 

Wastewater treatment technology

To reduce environmental impact, UMC Group continually invests in the R&D of wastewater treatment technologies. In recent years, the Company introduced advanced ammonia nitrogen wastewater treatment techniques to reduce water pollution from operations. Additionally, we continue to conduct more detailed diversion of wastewater and evaluate the feasibility of introducing new wastewater treatment technologies, including the formal implementation of copper sulfate waste liquid recovery and treatment technology at UMC's Fab 12A. This technology uses electrolytic reduction to extract pure copper from copper sulfate waste liquid, which is then made into copper pipes. This process recycles and treats 1,680 tons of copper sulfate waste liquid, reducing waste liquid discharge.
For more details, please visit:

https://www.umc.com/en/Html/latest_newsletters/HasLeftContent/2023Q3_1

 

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Awareness training provided to employees on water efficiency

For 2023 water efficiency management training for employees, please refer to :

https://www.umc.com/en/Html/green-foundry

 

UMC regularly conduct water conservation environmental education for employees, advocate water-saving measures during drought seasons, and offer online learning courses including save water and improve water efficiency among others.
UMC also invites external professional instructors annually to provide systematic professional training courses. These courses are available to the plant operations and engineering staff across all factories and subsidiaries. The training is aimed at enhancing system efficiency, including increasing water conservation, improving wastewater quality, optimizing operations, and incorporating new technologies for improvement. Through professional education and training, UMC aims to elevate the plant operations personnel's awareness of systematic water efficiency and innovative solutions, thereby aiding in the identification of water-saving opportunities and the ability to propose ideas for improvement plans.

 

 

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