TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kaohsiung’s Environmental Protection Bureau rejected TSMC’s Kaohsiung expansion project on Monday, saying the company failed to provide a comprehensive analysis.
According to TSMC, the expansion project for its P4 and P5 fabs covers about 42.89 hectares, or 60.22 hectares including the established P3 plant area, per CNA. The chipmaker said construction should take 2.5 years, requiring about 630,000 kW of electricity and 64,500 cubic meters per day of water, with an 82% water recycling rate.
However, the review committee noted discrepancies between TSMC’s reported wastewater discharge and water recycling rate, per Liberty Times. It also raised questions about achieving 100% renewable energy use by 2040.
Furthermore, TSMC failed to provide a comprehensive evaluation that included P1 and P2’s environmental effects. This includes pollution reduction, energy-saving, and traffic impact.
The committee requested TSMC to resubmit documentation by Feb. 10. The review could continue after Lunar New Year.
TSMC expects the expansion to generate NT$236.4 billion (US$7.15 billion) annually and create approximately 3,000 jobs. It will hold an earnings call on Thursday, per UDN.