Construction of a NT$981 million (US$31.34 million) water recycling plant capable of treating 8,000 tonnes of wastewater a day began in Tainan Wednesday, part of the southern city’s efforts to sustainably meet increasing local demand.
Scheduled to open in 2024, the plant is also the subject of a novel “water-for-water” deal between Chi Mei Corp., whose factory is located near the planned Rende Water Resources Recycling Center, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC).
Under the agreement, TSMC, which had originally committed to acquiring 8,000 tonnes of water a day from the Rende plant for 15 years, will give its allocation of treated water to Chi Mei in exchange for the latter’s equivalent quota of tap water.
The Tainan City government, which brokered the deal, explained that the exchange eliminated the environmental and financial costs of building a pipeline from the Rende plant to TSMC’s facilities over 30 kilometers away at the Southern Taiwan Science Park.
At a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said he hoped the Rende plant would help sustainably address the rapidly growing demand for water from households and agriculture, as well as hi-tech industries such as semiconductors in the southern city.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel