Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has promised to allocate a lot of 50 hectare in Kaohsiung Science Park (KSP) but the environmental protection evaluation of this site may not complete by 2022, which is the year TSMC plans to kick of volume production of 3nm chips:
However, considering that an environmental protection evaluation of the planned site in the KSP may not complete by 2022, in which TSMC plans to kick off volume production of 3nm chips, TSMC thus has begun to ponder an alternative site, said the paper.The total investment in the 3nm fab is expected to hit a figure over NT$500 billion (US$16.39 billion).
Air pollution in southern Taiwan and power supply are two other major issues crucial to TSMC's future decision, added the paper.