"Kumamoto's water is amazing" that Japanese people do not know

Kumamoto is known as a "water highlight", but it also has a succeeded in conservation efforts by the prefecture (photo: T.MAS / PIXTA)

Last November, Kumamoto Prefecture announced that Taiwanese semiconductor TSMC would "advance".It is said that a semiconductor factory will be newly established in Kikuyo -cho, Kumamoto Prefecture, in tagging with Sony.TSMC is a pioneer in consignment manufacturing produced after ordering semiconductor manufacturing, and Sony, which produces smartphones and in -vehicle image sensors in Kumamoto and Nagasaki, is the number one in the world.However, at the same time, the company relies on most of the semiconductors to be incorporated into the image sensor, so securing the procurement has been a challenge.

■ The reason Kumamoto was chosen as the destination where "water resources" has abundant Kumamoto is not only the accumulation of related companies and good traffic access, but there are abundant "water resources" that is indispensable for semiconductor production. There is something. Semiconductor production requires a large amount of pure -pure water, and according to the TSMC CSR report, in 2019, three scientific industrial parks in Taiwan were 156,000 tons per day, in 2020, 190,000. We use 3000 tons of water. However, Taiwan is currently suffering from a historic shortage of water. Due to the lack of typhoons in 2020, the water storage rate of major dams declined last year. TSMC has focused on improving the technical capabilities of water -saving and water regeneration, but still lacks water and is preparing water trucks and providing free groundwater in construction sites to maintain production activities. I procured. Considering the acceleration of climate change in the future, Kumamoto was looking for a stable production, and in this way, Kumamoto turned his eyes.

In fact, Kumamoto, the destination, is known as "water."80 % of living water in Kumamoto Prefecture is groundwater, especially in the Kumamoto area (Kumamoto City, Kikuchi -shi, Kikuchi -shi area, Uto City, Toshi City, Otsu -cho, Kikuyo -cho, Nishihara Village, Mifune -cho, Mifune -cho, Mifune -cho.Most of Kashima Town, Mashiki Town, and Kosa Town, consisting of 11 municipalities) are mostly dependent on groundwater.In that case, there may be some people who are worried that semiconductor manufacturing may be "deprived" in large quantities, but in fact, Kumamoto has a "groundwater conservation ordinance", and it is a business operator that intake groundwater.I am imposed to get the permission of the governor.

This ordinance states that groundwater is not "my water" but "public water."Groundwater is part of the water cycle, is clearly specified as public water, which is a common base in the lives of the prefecture and the local economy, and is basically a loose permission system that does not violate the constitution or civil law, and is important.The purpose is to use it under certain rules.■ The reason for the revision of the ordinance for the revision of the ordinance begins with the decrease in groundwater.In 2008, the groundwater collection was 180 million tons, which was reduced to 75 % 17 years ago, but the groundwater level was reduced.

Kumamoto Prefecture measured the water level in 33 underground water level observations in the jurisdiction, and comparing the water level in 1989 and 2010, the water level has decreased by 4 to 5 meters in 12 of the 14 wells.It turns out.I knew that if I didn't take any action, it would be depleted in the future.The cause was that the amount of cultivation (the water in the surface of the ground soaked into the basement) was reduced.In Kumamoto Prefecture, Shirakawa flows from east to west.The starting point is Aso Caldera, which ran through the middle stream of the fields, flowing through the Kumamoto city area, and poured into the Ariake Sea through the granary area that spreads out.The flow of water is not just the surface.The invisible underground flow is the water of the lives of people.

The central basin of Shirakawa is an important rechargeable area for groundwater.I heard the word "one cup of white rice, 1500 liters of groundwater".This represents the relationship between groundwater and rice fields.The soil created by the eruption of Aso is easy to pass with water.More than 400 years ago, Kiyomasa Kato entered Kumamoto, built a weir in the middle of Shirakawa and opened a paddy field.In the Kumamoto area, the groundwater recharge is 640 million tons annually, of which one -third is responsible for paddy fields.In particular, the paddy fields in the middle of Shirakawa were called "Zaruda", penetrating 5 to 10 times more water than in other areas.

However, rice fields have been decreasing in recent years.The area for making paddy rice in the Kumamoto area is about two -thirds, 30 years ago.The rice fields became the fields, or in residential land and factories.The background is a nationally reduced policy due to excessive rice supply.The amount of soil that permeates the ground from the rice fields depends on the nature of the soil, but the decrease in the area of the rice fields has led to a decrease in the source of the groundwater.Under these circumstances, in the late 1990s, Professor Tsutomu Ichikawa of Tokai University (at that time) published a study that "the spring of Lake Gotsu in Kumamoto City has decreased by 20 % in 10 years."At that time, Sony's semiconductor factory (Sony Semiconductor Manva Charming / Kumamoto Technology Center) will advance to the groundwater cultivation area.

As mentioned above, semiconductor production uses a large amount of groundwater.Therefore, in 2003, Sony started a groundwater recharge business in cooperation with local farmers, environmental NPOs, and agricultural organizations.Sony paid for the cost of the river when searching for cooperating farmers and not doing rice cultivation.■ Since the company has been obliged to cultivate businesses, in Kumamoto, underground water cultivation projects utilizing paddy fields in the central basin of Shirakawa have become full -fledged.In addition to Sony, companies that use local water, such as Fujifilm, Suntory, and Coca -Cola, cooperate with farmers to support rice fields.

Kumamoto's underwater conservation ordinance tends to be noticed by permission, but it is obliged to submit a cultivation plan and implement it.The groundwater water rules and the cultivation rules are combined.Kumamoto also established the Kumamoto Water Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation.A micro -enterprise that cannot be done alone can pay the foundation to the foundation, and the foundation will cultivate it.There is also a menu of the cultivation business, such as water quality and water conservation.For example, in the groundwater research research project, the flow of groundwater is investigated, which helps develop each business efficiently, and also accumulates data on groundwater in the Kumamoto area.Kumamoto Prefecture's underground water conservation efforts beyond these municipalities have been highly evaluated around the world, and has won the "Superior Award for Life in Life".

Digitization progresses at a rapid pace due to the corona evil, and semiconductor demand is increasing.According to US research companies IC Insets, the global semiconductor market increased by 25 % in 2021, exceeding $ 500 billion (about 57 trillion yen), and this year is expected to increase by 11 %.Again, the production of semiconductors requires high -purity super pure water.This is to thoroughly remove the impurities that are dissolved in water.It combines physical processing and chemical processing, such as using an ion exchange resin or a separation film, or removing gas dissolved in water by vacuuming the outside of the membrane.

Ultra -pure water is made by combining the latest technology and devices, but the performance of the semiconductor is improved and the high purity is also required.Currently, the cutting -edge semiconductor has a fine circuit width of 5 nm or less, and the existence of a slight impurities affects the quality of manufacturing.■ I need more water by improving performance. In the future, if the semiconductor is even higher performance and the circuit width becomes smaller, the use of water to remove impurities will increase further.The next generation chip is 1.It is predicted to consume 5 times water.Under these circumstances, semiconductor factories are promoting water recycling and resource saving.For example, recover the water used for washing in a semiconductor factory as much as possible to return to the original clean super pure water, or control the water treatment to reduce the amount used by controlling it to the optimal amount, or drain.Technical development is underway, such as recovering and reusing active ingredients such as fluorine and phosphorus contained in.TSMC was also working on purification of water and improving recycling in 2016.

While there are concerns about the global water shortage due to climate change, the problem of how to secure a half -leader in the future is a major issue for the Japanese industry.When using groundwater, Kumamoto's initiatives, which are conservation and utilization beyond municipalities, are helpful.The theme of "World Water Day" on March 22 is groundwater management, and the "Asia -Pacific Water Forum" will be held in Kumamoto City in late April.The world will pay attention to the water in Kumamoto.

Toyo Economic Online

Last update: 2/25 (Fri) 10:46

Toyo Economic Online