Hsinchu, Taiwan, November 28, 2024 – GlobalWafers’ Danish subsidiary, Topsil GlobalWafers (Topsil), has been awarded “The Green Gazelle Award” by the Danish business newspaper Børsen, recognizing Topsil’s outstanding performance in sustained and stable growth, as well as highlighting its significant achievements in driving green transition and developing advanced semiconductor materials. Topsil not only manufactures a key product essential for the technology driving the green transition, but it has also successfully expanded its operations while simultaneously reducing its own CO2 footprint, meeting the strict criteria required to win the Green Gazelle Award.
Topsil headquartered at Copenhagen in Denmark, is a leading pioneer of neutron transmutation doped (NTD) float zone (FZ) silicon wafers. This advanced semiconductor material is crucial in nearly all modern power electronics, enabling far more energy-efficient transport, usage, and control of electrical current. FZ silicon is found in components used in wind turbines, electric vehicles, industrial machinery, power grids, and many other applications where high voltage and strong current flow. Moreover, it is used in other smaller niches, including sensors for medical or military use, as well as serving as a foundational material in quantum computers.
While semiconductors are instrumental for advancing the green transition, the industry itself is often associated with a significant environmental footprint. Therefore, it is especially encouraging for the climate that a company like Topsil has met the stringent criteria to win the Green Gazelle Award. To qualify, the company must have achieved a minimum 100% growth in net revenue over the past 4 years, while also surpassing its emissions reduction target; specifically, CO2 emissions must be reduced by a minimum of 5.25% from 2022 to 2023.
During this period, Topsil has reduced its emissions of CO2 per kg silicon by 16% through optimizations in the production. “The efficiencies have been achieved through a long and steady effort that include investments in automation, a myriad of small continuous improvements and new economies of scale. The entire success is based on a very dedicated and competent staff,” says Christian Hindrichsen, production manager at Topsil.
In 2022, GlobalWafers participated in RE100 and committed to 100% renewable energy usage in its global operations by 2050. To achive this goal, a whole new 10 MW solar park has been built on a field next to Topsil’s plant in 2024, and by January 2025, it will be connected to the local power grid and make Topsil more than self-sufficient with green electricity. Any surplus generated will contribute to the growing share of renewable energy in Denmark’s energy mix.
At Topsil, there are great optimism that the green transition will continue to gain momentum in the future, both for the benefit of the environment and as a driver of business growth. President of Topsil, Hans Peder Mikkelsen envisions a future scenario: “For example, when more decision-makers find out that it is a good idea to build HVDC connectors between different countries, like Viking Link, so that you can export green surplus power to where the need for power is currently at, then they are going to need a whole lot of Topsil’s NTD silicon to make it work properly,” (NTD is neutron-irradiated silicon, developed by Topsil Company and Risø National Laboratory in Denmark in the 1970s, ed.) — “and we’ll be ready to help,” Mr. Mikkelsen concludes.
GlobalWafers adheres to the concept of “responsible growth”. The recognition of the new Green Gazelle award for Topsil demonstrates the Group’s outstanding achievements in pursuing steady growth in operations while taking into account environmental sustainability. The future looks bright green at the GlobalWafers, and the continued work toward a more sustainable future will be reinforced by a strengthened commitment, knowing that it is the right path to take.