Hurricane Helen, which hit the southeastern United States in late September, had an unexpected negative impact on the production of semiconductors used in microelectronics. This was reported on October 4 by the popular science magazine New Scientist.
The mining town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, was severely damaged by the hurricane. The mines located in the surrounding area were flooded. The area was the site of quartz mining by Sibelco and Quartz Corporation. Around 90% of the world’s volume of ultrapure quartz, necessary for the manufacture of semiconductors, is produced in this city, the Financial Times clarifies.
At the moment, the work of the companies is suspended. It is unknown when it will resume. Representatives of both companies point out that the interruption in production was mainly due to concern for the safety of the miners.
“Initial assessment indicates that our operating facilities in the Spruce Pine region sustained only minor damage. “Our dedicated teams are on site carrying out clean-up and repair work to get operations back up and running as quickly as possible.” — Sibelco said in an official statement.
The Quartz Corporation noted that the problem lies, among other things, in the restoration of infrastructure, since the roads leading to the mines were also damaged, Izvestia clarifies.
