Wastewater Treatment
In 2023, total wastewater discharge reached 20,973 megaliters, a 2% increase from 2022, with intensity increasing by 38%. In 2023, wastewater discharge totaled 16,121 megaliters in Taiwan Facilities and 4,852 megaliters in Mainland China Facilities, representing 77% and 23% of the total discharge, respectively.
Wastewater from each Unimicron plant is treated at dedicated facilities and verified to meet discharge standards before being released into designated streams or local sewage treatment plants. In Taiwan, treated wastewater from our plants is legally discharged into local streams such as the Nankan, Laojie, Dongmen, Toucian, Shezi, and Xinfeng Rivers and integrated into regional sewage facilities. In Mainland China, wastewater undergoes treatment at local wastewater treatment plants before being released into the Maozhou, Wusong, and Taicangtang Rivers. Water rights are fundamental to human dignity and health. We ensure that wastewater from Taiwan and China Facilities is managed to protect local watersheds and natural bodies, safeguarding community access to safe drinking water.
To counteract the stigma associated with the high-pollution nature of PCB industry, we have implemented rigorous internal standards for wastewater discharge through "Environmental Protection Internal Audit and Notification Regulation." We adhere to local regulations and the "Water Quality Standards for Discharged Water from the PCB Industry" to ensure compliance and environmental responsibility. For instance, at the Hsinfeng Plant, the internal control standard for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is 108 ppm, below the regulatory limit of 120 ppm. The copper standard is 1.2 ppm, below the regulatory limit of 1.5 ppm. Currently, wastewater discharge levels in Taiwan and China Facilities are below local regulatory limits (COD permissible value: 5.09 megaliters; copper permissible value: 0.25 megaliters). We proactively publish quarterly third-party wastewater testing data and treatment processes on our official website to meet local standards. In Taiwan, we assess the efficiency of existing wastewater treatment facilities to ensure compliance with current regulations and to meet more stringent standards in the future. To address more stringent regulations, we will focus on reducing pollutants at the source and set internal wastewater discharge standards that surpass legal requirements, minimizing environmental impact and operational disruptions.
Wastewater Discharge and Intensity
Wastewater from Taiwan Facilities (Megaliters)
Wastewater from Mainland China Facilities (Megaliters)
Wastewater Discharge Intensity (Megaliters/Million in Revenue)
Note: Wastewater from Taiwan Facilities is discharged into surface water and local treatment facilities, while wastewater from Mainland China Facilities is directed to local treatment facilities.
2023 Unimicron Important Program
Title：Real-Time Factory Monitoring
Content：We have transitioned from traditional on-site monitoring systems to a unified platform using the Group’s private cloud network. This upgrade enables real-time, synchronized monitoring across all factories, reducing inspection time and costs while leveraging big data analysis to enhance operational efficiency.
NT$ 12 million
The total setup cost
NT$ 2.8 million
The annual cost savings for monitoring software
Real-Time Monitoring Platform for the Group’s Factories
Reduction Projects and Results
Wastewater diversion into biological treatment，Increase capacity of wastewater plants，Reduce energy consumption of subcontracted processing
In addition tothe production of copper-containing waste liquid in the printed circuit board manufacturing industry, film-removing waste liquid also accounts for a large amount. The company's wastewater treatment process adopts a chemical coagulation system, which is mainly used for the treatment of copper-containing waste liquid, and its ability to treat COD is poor. In the past, the treatment method of film-removing waste liquid was to pass the waste liquid through the aeration and stratification system, and then outsource the high-concentration film-removing waste liquid; the low-concentration waste liquid was discharged into the waste water plant for self-treatment. When the company's production capacity increased, the waste liquid When the treatment capacity reaches the load of the wastewater plant and cannot continue to stratify, the stock solution will accumulate and need to be cleared and transported by outsourcing, which will increase the cost of outsourcing treatment. The company's 2020 project introduced the method of contacting biological filter materials, using biofilms to treat COD in water under an aerobic state, and successfully increased the capacity of waste water plants to treat COD waste liquid, increasing 1.77 tons per day, and a total of 53.1 tons per month. Reduce the cost of outsourced cleaning and transportation, increase the capacity of the wastewater plant to treat COD waste liquid, and avoid the discharge of COD-containing wastewater into the environment to increase the environmental load and affect the ecological environment.
Waste Water Quality Monitoring
In order to monitor the water quality at any time, set up a continuous monitoring system and connect with the Environmental Protection Administration to monitor the water temperature, pH, conductivity, COD, and SS in real time.
