Micron Technology, a prominent global memory chip manufacturer, is currently engaged in the installation of 36,000 solar panels on its Singapore fabrication plant rooftops and carport shelter tops. This sustainable initiative aims to utilize the generated renewable energy to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
The completion of this solar panel project by 2024 will generate enough electricity to power around 6,000 homes, as per Mr Chen Kok Sing, Vice President and Singapore Country Manager of Micron. This venture is a collaborative effort with Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries. Under the agreement, Sembcorp is responsible for the installation on Micron’s premises, granting Micron access to concessional tariffs for the produced power over several years.
Mr Chen highlighted that this installation is a significant enhancement to Singapore’s solar panel landscape. Energy expenses constitute up to 30% of operating costs for semiconductor foundries.
With 16 such foundries in Singapore contributing to roughly 11% of the global semiconductor market, Micron’s solar project is an essential step toward its global target of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in operations and purchased energy by 2050.
In the fiscal year 2022, Micron attained 100% renewable energy in Malaysia and inked significant power agreements for its United States operations to achieve the same goal by 2025.
Mr Chen emphasized the company’s active collaboration with suppliers to identify emission-reduction initiatives, including equipment upgrades, efficiency enhancements, and renewable energy procurement.
Micron’s Singapore facility, driven by smart-controlled systems and predictive maintenance technologies, remarkably increased manufacturing output by about 270% between 2018 and 2021, while simultaneously reducing resource usage per gigabyte by 45%.
Mr Chen praised the Singapore Government for its support of Micron’s sustainability endeavors, underscoring the contrast with the limited support the company has encountered in other locations.
