According to information obtained by News, Sibelco, the largest supplier of high-purity quartz worldwide, closed its facilities in North Carolina due to severe flooding, and as a result, it has sent “force majeure” letters to its clients, relieving it of any liability in the event that they are unable to fulfill orders.
The majority of the ultra-high purity quartz in the world is mined in the isolated North Carolina town of Spruce Pine.
The crucibles that are used to melt polysilicon and mold it into the pure silicon wafers that are used to build computer chips by firms like TSMC and Intel are made of this quartz.
Following Hurricane Helene late last week, the town and nearby areas have seen devastating flooding, with roads and train lines cut off.
The extent of the damage is still unknown, but private Belgian company Sibelco announced that it had temporarily halted manufacturing.
“We have confirmed the safety of most employees and are working diligently to contact those still unreachable due to ongoing power outages and communication challenges,” added the statement.
“In response to these difficulties, we have temporarily suspended operations at the Spruce Pine facilities as of September 26.
