In responding to the water scarcity and management risks introduced by the aggravation of global climate change, Innolux is dedicated to elevating the performance of water conservation, as well as implementing internal monitoring and management on water regime through systemization and data analysis. Innolux has achieved a recycling rate of 96.2% for process water at its local plants, which is higher than the industrial level, and 10 of them have been awarded with the title of Excellent Water-Conserving Unit by the Water Resources Agency.
Jim Hung, Chairman of Innolux, commented that the company has been focused on water conservation and recycling in the face of the water crisis derived from aggravated climate change, so as to achieve daily water conservation and an adequate management on water scarcity. The local plants of Innolux had a water intensity per unit area of 0.26 (m3/m2), which exceeded the performance of other competitors, with 2.9 million tons of recycled process water throughout the year that is the equivalent of the water volume of 116.8K standard swimming pools, while the water consumption per output area of each unit has been lowered by 20% (2020 vs 2016).
Innolux is conducting internal monitoring and management on the water regime through systemization and data analysis, as well as the incorporation of the “i-FM Management System” to monitor the internal water regime in order to refine on the management efficiency of water resources. The company is also exchanging the technology on water conservation and the usage of recycled water with the industry. In addition, having been hit with the most severe draught in half a century, Innolux works with the water restriction policy of the government by investing NT$130 million in the equipment for biological wastewater recycling, molybdenum removal wastewater recycling, and secondary water recycling.
Innolux disclosed that the Tainan T6 plant transforms wastewater into ultrapure water (UPW) from water recycling and disposal technology such as biological, film, resin, and activated carbon, before it is used by the process again, which effectively reduces the consumption of tap water per unit area of the substrate by 66% (2017-2020), and achieves 17K tons of water recycling per day.
Innolux commented that the Tainan plant initiated autonomous water conservation since October 2020, and has saved 990K tons of water as of June when the water regime was mitigated. The conserved water is the equivalent of the water volume used by Tainan City in a day, which not only exceeded the 790K tons required by the government, but also saved 30K trips of water
Looking ahead to the future, Innolux will be actively evaluating the ISO46001 water efficiency management system, and has laid down the long-term target (2025 vs 2016) of reducing 30% of water consumption per unit area by 2025, while also continuing in responding to the reclaimed water usage policy of the government. In addition, the Southern Taiwan Science Park will initiate the Yongkang reclaimed water plant (1,500 tons of water consumption per day during the first phase) in August this year, and gradually plan for the participation in the Northern Kaohsiung Reclaimed Water Program in order to support the sustainability of water resources through actions.
(Cover photo source: Innolux)