Our Focuses|Environmental Sustainability|Water Management

Environmental Sustainability

Winbond has worked alongside countries and companies from around the world to implement green sustainability measures, proactively reducing the impact that our business operations have on the environment. Apart from having no major violations of environmental laws, Winbond has also committed innovative new technologies and significant resources into adopting measures for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions, improving resource utilization rates, and improving waste and emissions management, taking concrete action to implement our sustainable development blueprint.

SDGs 13 Climate Action
SDGs 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDGs 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDGs 6 Clean Water and Sanitation

Cumulative energy savings from 2019 to 2023 reached

456

GWh

The water recovery rate of the whole plant reached

82.2

%

Removal rate for VOCs in 2023 reached

98

%

Water Management

Water Management

Water Efficiency Policy

Winbond Electronics follows the vision “Be a hidden champion in providing sustainable semiconductors to enrich human life”, implements the responsibility of green manufacturing, reduces the impact on the environment in the process of enterprise operation. We are committed to the goal of social responsibility and sustainable operation. 
The Company's water efficiency policy is as follows:

  • All employee participate in water conservation and promote awareness of water management.
  • Prioritize water-saving designs and continuously improve water efficiency.
  • Recycled and reused water resources to ensure the achievement of waterefficiency targets.
  • Comply with government regulations and regular review water management.

     

Water Resource Management

1.Identify water-saving hot spots: identify key links in the production process that consume large amounts of water, and continue to look for water-saving and recycling opportunities in the company.

2.Water-saving action plan: Implement a series of action plans, such as adopting water-saving designs, optimizing production processes, and improving water efficiency of facilities.

3.Water pollution prevention and control: Minimize the use of harmful substances, reduce the source of process wastewater, separate wastewater for proper treatment, reduce or remove pollutant emissions, and comply with regulatory standards. 

4.Water-saving goals: Ensure water safety in the communities where we operate. Set specific water-saving and reduction goals to help us advance various water-saving action plans in an orderly manner and ensure that the results are measurable and traceable.

5.Water recycling measures: Continue to improve the recycling rate of recycled water, develop diverse alternative water sources, and undertake actions to reduce water withdrawal and consumption.

6.Sustainable culture: Establish a culture of responsibility for environmental protection among all employees, provide environmental education and training to management, employees, suppliers/contractors, and expand value chain cooperation, collectively safeguarding the integrity of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems and sharing to create a beautiful and sustainable environment .

 

2023 Target Achievement

2023, Metric for measuring water intensity per product unit, Winbond averaged 170 liters of water usage to produce one 12-inch wafer photomask layer.

Indicators and Targets2023 Targets2023 Achievements
Fab Water Recycling Rate (%)≧80%82.2%

Note:

1. Fab Water recovery rate: The statistical scope of the data is Winbond Taiwan factory.

 

 

Water resources management goal: Before 2030, the annual Fab water recovery rate will reach more than  80%.

 

Achieve 2023 water consumption reduction target

— 2023 Water-Saving Measures (Unit: megaliters /year) —

ItemWater Conservation MeasuresExplanation of Water Conservation MeasuresWater Saving
1Water-saving of UPW (Ultra-Pure Water) SystemWater consumption parameters adjusted for production machines210.6
2SW water saving for exhaust gas treatment equipmentAdjustment for exhaust gas treatment equipment125.3
3Water-saving and drought-resistant measures during water restriction periodsReduction of cooling tower discharge water volume and increase in wastewater treatment system recovery capacity31.9
4Optimization of external air conditioning box water washing systemInstallation of water-blocking plates to reduce splashing losses in washing equipment20.4
5Optimization and improvement of condensate water recovery in Gas Yard evaporatorImprovement of evaporator air-cooled de-icing system to enhance recovery of ice-condensed water1.9
6Optimization of fire system environmental pipeline leak preventionReduction of water leakage rate by improving environmental pipeline damage in fire system0.3

 

— Water Withdrawal, discharge and total net fresh water consumption(Unit: megaliters)—

Water Resources Types

2020

2021

2022

2023

Taiwan Region

Subsdiary

Taiwan Region

Subsdiary

Taiwan Region

Subsdiary

Taiwan Region

Subsdiary

Total Water Withdrawal 

3,633

403

3,293

391

4,131

410

4,356

396

Water discharge

2,417

318

2,318

319

3,172

312

2,924

317

Total net fresh water consumption 

1,216

85

975

72

959

98

1,432

79

Note: The water source is tap water. The scope of data statistics covers Winbond Taiwan and consolidated financial reporting subsidiary (Nuvoton Taiwan)

  

— Ultra-pure water usage(Unit: cubic meters  )—

Water Resources Types

2020

2021

2022

2023

Taiwan Region

Subsdiary

Taiwan Region

Subsdiary

Taiwan Region

Subsdiary

Taiwan Region

Subsdiary

Ultra-pure water

3,638,320

481,399

3,617,150

498,589

3,622,902

485,106

4,070,924

451,900

Note: The scope of data statistics covers Winbond Taiwan and consolidated financial reporting subsidiary (Nuvoton Taiwan)

Water Recycling

Winbond continues to increase water recycling rates. In 2023, the overall plant recycled approximately 82.2% of its water and 90.1% of its process water (meeting the science park’s commitment under the environmental impact assessment to recycle more than 77% of all water used, and more than 85% of all process water used). Winbond implemented 6 new water conservation measures in 2023 that increased total water saved by  390,000 cubic meters.

Accumulated water savings between 2018 and 2023 has reached 4,000 megaliters, equivalent to 0.8 times the Baoshan Reservoir’s capacity.

Water Recycling Performance in Past Years

Wastewater Management

Winbond’s wastewater treatment facilities are designed to collect up to 20 types of waste liquids through separate pipelines standardizing wastewater quality. Each wastewater type is then treated through 11 distinct wastewater treatment facilities. Operating and discharge permits are applied for pursuant to the Water Pollution Control Act and the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act. 

Testing is conducted by a laboratory accredited by the Environmental Analysis Laboratory twice a year to confirm that the discharge water quality satisfies CTSP’s influent standards. Additionally, in order to reduce the environmental burden of the wastewater treatment facility, and to reduce the use of chemical products, Winbond also collect and treat waste liquids from the washing towers, cooling towers, process cooling water, and recycled soft water from production processes, reusing this treated waste liquid in secondary water applications throughout the site Apart from these measures, Winbond has continued to promote improvements to our water pollution prevention facilities, reduced our pollutant biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and the amount of suspended solids (SS) and sludge. 

Measured COD, SS and BOD values for 2023 were far below the CTSP influent standards.