Deerns follows four solid steps in the roadmap for making semiconductor production facilities contributing to much needed decarbonisation of the industry.
Microchips are embedded in technologies which symbolize the energy transition such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and smart grids. Yet the production of these chips is far from sustainable in the Electronics industry. From this point of view the semiconductor manufacturing industry has a key role in pace setting a more sustainable future. In the meantime, manufacturing requires increasingly complex processes, leading to a significant increase in energy and water consumption and emissions of chemicals such as greenhouse gases.
Microchips can be found in innovations such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and smart grids. As a result, we can use energy more efficiently and achieve a more sustainable future.
Miniaturisation is such an example of the industry’s response to the need for more powerful microchips (‘Moore’s law’) to meet relentless global demand.
A worrying prediction
Recent research shows that if the growth of the semiconductor industry continues, CO2 emissions will increase by around 8% annually – a worrying prediction. The need for sustainability in the semiconductor industry becomes even clearer when we compare the impact with other sectors: while total global emissions are around 50 billion tonnes, the ICT industry is responsible for 1.2 billion tonnes, and semiconductor manufacturing for around 175 million tonnes.
Here’s where we chart the challenges
Besides decarbonisation, the semiconductor industry has other major sustainability challenges:
- Planetary boundaries: planetary boundaries, set by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, show how much pressure the earth can withstand before irreparable damage occurs. The semiconductor industry must stay within these boundaries to avoid ecological tipping points that could lead to serious environmental damage, such as loss of biodiversity.
- Recovery of Natural Resources: Key raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and neodymium are essential for the technologies of the future, but their availability is limited. Efficient and sustainable methods are needed for the extraction and use of these materials, as well as effective recycling methods to reduce our dependence. Consider the recovery of noble gases such as helium and neon, chemicals and rare and expensive metals.
- Use of hazardous substances: The presence of hazardous substances such as PFAS (poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances) and SVHCs in semiconductor manufacturing processes is a major concern. This is because these chemicals have harmful effects, both on human health and the environment. Regulations on the use of these substances are only getting stricter, and may even lead to mandatory phase-outs.
- Water: The production of semiconductors requires large amounts of ultrapure water, placing a heavy burden on available resources. A single semiconductor factory can consume tens of millions of litres of water per day, equivalent to the water consumption of a small city. Companies in the semiconductor industry therefore strive to optimise their water consumption and invest in technologies that enable reuse.
The roadmap to a sustainable future
The above challenges cannot be underestimated. To make semiconductor production more sustainable, Deerns, together with its clients, develops roadmap with four concrete measures:
- Establish ambitions
Translating sustainability ambitions into concrete goals for the production facility. Many companies have set their ambitions based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For example, a concrete target could be to reuse at least 60% of water in the production process by 2027, thereby significantly reducing water consumption. The following three SDGS are especially urgent for the electronics industry:
Countering climate change: Reducing CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases; using energy resources more efficiently
Clean water and sanitation: Water reuse; water efficiency
Protected ecosystems, forests and biodiversity: Reducing harmful emissions; using resources responsibly
- The 30-year outlook
When future-proofing a factory, it is important to look beyond short-term needs and rather with a 30 years outlook. What’s up next when considering technological developments, raw material requirements, new regulations and societal trends. Often, the measures to be taken are very costly and depreciation is spread over 10-tenths of a year.
- Identify the main ‘culprits’
Identify the main ‘culprits’ within the production processes and suppliers (supply chain). This helps to identify where the greatest potential for improvement lies, as well as the risk and feasibility of the proposed measures.
- Creating a clear overview
Complete the picture with detailed reports, scenario analyses, interim milestones and associated investments. With this information, you can start implementation in a focused and efficient way.
Deerns not only helps semiconductor manufacturers draw up these roadmaps as well as guiding their implementation. With our expertise in the semiconductor industry and in-depth knowledge of sustainability, we can provide valuable advice at process level. We also assess whether the measures to be taken are economically feasible and feasible in an environment where production must continue 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is how we support companies in electronics and chip production to overcome the tough challenge of meeting global demand while securing a greener future.
