Choo Mi-ae, the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, publicly criticized Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, claiming they are not making efforts to reduce wastewater discharge. This has brought attention to water management issues in the semiconductor industry. However, assessments of the two companies' investments and management practices suggest that the criticism may not align with the facts.
During a semiconductor strategy meeting on August 7, Choo stated, "Intel and TSMC's U.S. plants are investing in technologies to recycle semiconductor water and aim for zero or minimal discharge," contrasting this with Samsung and SK Hynix's practices. She also mentioned that companies are "misusing" public measures to supply 1.1 million tons of semiconductor water daily, failing to reduce discharge. Gyeonggi Province previously advised both companies to increase the reuse of process water to six times.
However, Samsung Electronics is already implementing measures to reduce water usage and recycle wastewater at its semiconductor facilities. The company's Device Solutions (DS) division reported that it reduced water usage by approximately 16.76 million tons at domestic sites in 2024 through process improvements and equipment efficiency. In the same year, about 10.1 million tons of water was reused at these facilities.
Additional investments are underway. Samsung is collaborating with the Ministry of Environment, Gyeonggi Province, and the cities of Hwaseong and Osan to purify treated water that was previously discarded at the Osan public wastewater treatment plant for supply to its Giheung and Hwaseong semiconductor sites. The planned supply volume is 120,000 tons per day, with a target start date in 2029. The DS division also aims to limit water intake to 2021 levels despite expanding semiconductor production by 2030.
Samsung's Giheung and Hwaseong facilities have received the 'Platinum' certification from the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), which evaluates 100 criteria, including water intake, pollution, and ecosystem impact.
Viewing discharged water solely as 'wastewater' does not reflect the actual situation. Since 2007, Samsung's Giheung facility has been discharging treated water into the Osancheon stream. According to data cited by Samsung from the Ministry of Environment's water quality monitoring network, the biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the upstream and downstream sections of the Giheung facility improved from grade 3 to grade 1 as of 2023. The presence of wildlife, such as otters, has also been confirmed in the Osancheon stream.
SK Hynix is also focusing on expanding water reuse as part of its long-term environmental goals. Through its 'Green 2030' initiative, the company aims to increase water resource reduction by 300% compared to 2019 levels by 2030. It has introduced wastewater reuse facilities, cooling tower water reuse systems, and waterless scrubbers, with plans to expand its existing wastewater reuse capacity from 60,000 tons to 80,000 tons per day.
These water management efforts have received positive external evaluations. In March of this year, SK Hynix won the top award in the water resource management category at the '2025 CDP Korea Awards' for the fourth consecutive year. The company explained that it operates proactive water-saving technologies and expanded reuse in its production processes, adhering to stricter internal discharge standards than legal requirements. It is difficult to definitively state that the company is not making reduction efforts.
Industry experts have pointed out that Choo's comparisons to TSMC and Intel may be misleading. TSMC's claim of 'over 90% water recycling' and 'Near Zero Liquid Discharge' has not yet been achieved. The industrial water recycling facility TSMC is currently constructing in Arizona is expected to be completed in 2028, at which point it aims to recycle over 90% of its water and minimize liquid discharge.
Intel's 'Net Positive Water' does not mean the company discharges no wastewater. Intel returns about 80% of the water used in its facilities to the community and aims to restore more water than it uses by 2030, factoring in investments in watershed restoration projects, including maintaining river flow and groundwater recharge.
Additionally, directly comparing the current discharge levels of Samsung and SK Hynix to TSMC's 2028 goals or Intel's watershed restoration concept is not a fair assessment. While domestic companies should consider the goals of foreign firms, labeling them as not investing in environmental measures based on these comparisons does not align with the ongoing investments in water reuse.
An industry insider stated, "The demand for reducing environmental burdens and the assertion that companies are making no efforts are two different issues. Both Samsung and SK Hynix are investing in facilities and technology development for water reduction and reuse. Excluding these facts while labeling them as 'the opposite' of foreign companies could unfairly tarnish the image of domestic firms as environmentally irresponsible."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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