 BOC Edwards, with its Taiwan joint venture partner, BOC Lien Hwa (BOCLH), already operates the largest high purity gas distribution network in Taiwan, which supplies Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan. However the companies are to expand nitrogen production, pipeline distribution network and mass storage operations at a cost of over $30 million US dollars to meet continued demand from the semiconductor and related manufacturing facilities within the park.
"This pipeline network, which has been an integral part and an enabler of the successful growth of advanced semiconductor manufacturing in Hsinchu since 1988, supplies ultra-high purity nitrogen to more than 20 advanced wafer fabrication facilities within the park," said Neels Kriek, managing director of materials and services for BOC Edwards. With a currently installed capacity of more than 100,000 Nm3 per hour of nitrogen, and more than 20km of underground pipelines, this system forms the largest high purity gas distribution network in Taiwan. BOC Edwards has begun construction of its tenth and largest semiconductor grade nitrogen generator, which will add a capacity of 35,000 Nm3 per hour. A large-capacity liquid nitrogen storage system is also being built. "This investment follows the capacity expansion and start-up in February 2006 of an ultra-high purity liquid nitrogen plant within the Hsinchu Science Park. The addition of a large-capacity liquid nitrogen storage system will ensure that the highest levels of product availability can be maintained at all times," said Alex Tong, president of BOCLH in Taiwan.
|
Materials & Gases 
