INTERVIEW/TSMC investment drives Kaohsiung's urban development: Mayor

Kaohsiung, Dec. 26 (CNA) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) investment in Kaohsiung has played a key role in driving the city's urban development, according to Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁).

"TSMC's investment has been the engine powering Kaohsiung's transformation," Chen told CNA a recent interview.

Historically a heavy industrial city, Kaohsiung has leveraged TSMC's investment to drive the digital transformation of related industries, including steel and petrochemicals, according to Chen.

In recent years, the southern Taiwanese city has focused on enhancing infrastructure for water and electricity, talent development, and public services to ensure smoother operations for TSMC, Chen said.

TSMC plans to invest in five factories in Kaohsiung, with the first plant already equipped and expected to start mass production next year or early the following year -- six months ahead of schedule, Chen said.

He added that the second to fifth plants are progressing according to plan, as TSMC ramps up its production of high-end chips in both Kaohsiung and Hsinchu, in northern Taiwan.

To support this expansion, the city government has set up four water recycling plants to meet TSMC's demand for 110,000 to 120,000 tons of recycled water per day.

An ultra-high voltage substation and related feeder facilities have also been installed in the Nanzih Technology Industrial Park, where the TSMC facilities are located, to ensure stable power supply.

In addition, Kaohsiung is building a new provincial highway and interchanges connecting Freeway No. 1 to ensure the separation of large vehicles from regular traffic, enhancing efficiency and road safety.

TSMC's Kaohsiung plant enjoys a unique advantage in terms of its transportation network, Chen pointed out.

Compared to TSMC's other global production sites, the plant in Kaohsiung is positioned in the center of the city, making it the only TSMC plant in the world to be directly adjacent to the MRT, high-speed rail and freeway, he explained.

As a result, in the future semiconductor companies in Kaohsiung, Tainan, Chiayi and Pingtung will all be in close proximity, which will help drive industry integration, Chen said.