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    Taiwan Semiconductor Chooses Carbon Capture to Lower Emissions at Solvent Incineration Plant

    Jan. 29, 2025
    The capture unit will be installed at TSMC’s Taichung zero-waste manufacturing center by the end of 2025. The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions from TSMC operations.
    TSMC factory in Taichung's central Taiwan Science Park. Image credit Briáxis F. Mendes - Own work, courtesy Wikimedia Commons
    TSMC factory in Taichung's central Taiwan Science Park. Image credit Briáxis F. Mendes - Own work, courtesy Wikimedia Commons

    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has selected MTR Carbon Capture to supply a Polaris membrane carbon capture system to treat emissions from a TSMC solvent incineration facility in Taiwan.

    The carbon capture unit will be installed at TSMC’s Taichung zero-waste manufacturing center by the end of 2025. The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions from TSMC operations.

    MTR’s Polaris membrane process does not produce chemical emissions and uses little water, making it a reportedly cleaner approach as compared to alternative solvent-based capture systems. Polaris does not require heat or steam input, which is expected to reduce operating costs.

    “This is an important first step in deploying clean Polaris capture systems in Taiwan to help a global leader like TSMC decarbonize their operations. We look forward to working with TSMC and CTCI to make this project a great success,” said Brett Andrews, President of MTR Carbon Capture, in a statement.

    Additionally, TSMC plans to deploy larger Polaris systems at additional TSMC facilities, as well as at waste-to-energy plants in the region. MTR is working jointly on this project with Taiwan’s engineering, procurement and construction company, CTCI.

    TSMC is one of the world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturers and includes among its customer companies such as Nvidia, Qualcomm, Apple and AMD. Revenues for TSMC last year topped $90 billion.

    Companies and governments are investing in some carbon capture technologies as they try to reach sustainability and net zero emissions goals while maintaining energy resiliency and baseload power. Globally, some financial forecasts expect carbon capture market value to reach $17 billion or more by the early 2030s.

    In the U.S., the Department of Energy announced more than $1.7 billion in funding to spur new carbon capture, utilization and storage projects during the Biden Administration.