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JASM and three other firms receive certification for groundwater conservation in Kumamoto
Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 11:52 AM
The Kumamoto Groundwater Foundation has certified four companies, including TSMC's Japanese subsidiary JASM, under the FY2025 Groundwater Conservation Recognition System for their efforts in water resource management in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Context
JASM, the Japanese manufacturing subsidiary of TSMC, has received official certification for groundwater conservation from the Kumamoto Groundwater Foundation. This recognition follows TSMC’s commitment to achieve Water Positive status in its Japanese operations. In 2024, the company successfully recharged 5 million cubic meters of groundwater, an amount equivalent to three times its annual consumption at the Kumamoto site. This sustainability milestone is critical as JASM scales toward a total production capacity of over 100,000 12-inch wafers per month across two planned fabs.
The certification addresses mounting local concerns regarding the semiconductor industry’s intensive water requirements. While the first plant consumes approximately 2.7 million metric tons of water annually, the addition of a second fab by 2027 is expected to push total consumption to 8 million metric tons. By utilizing extensive groundwater recharge programs and recycling 75% of its process water, TSMC aims to mitigate environmental risks and maintain social license in a region where over 1 million people rely on the local aquifer for drinking water.
Regarding the environmental efforts, Kimio Katsuya, secretary-general of the Kumamoto Groundwater Foundation, stated during a site visit that "with the expansion of JASM and other firms, we need to step up our recharge effort" to restore the balance between supply and demand. This statement, reported by The Japan Times, underscores the ongoing collaboration between global chipmakers and local stakeholders to secure the long-term viability of the US$20 billion investment in the Kumamoto semiconductor hub.
Sources (8)
[PDF] TSMC Celebrates the Opening of JASM in Kumamoto, JapanJASM - Facility - Mechanical Engineer (5236) - Jobs | TSMC Careers[PDF] Climate and Nature Report - ESG - TSMC[PDF] Reference Materials for the Fourth Report of the Committee on New Direction of Economic and Industrial Policies Japan's chipmaking rush pressures Kumamoto's special water supply - The Japan Times Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystemTSMC and Rapidus: Monitoring PFAS emissions and water quality in JapanMayor Press Conference on October 28, 2025 - Kumamoto-shi
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