John Westbrook
OGJ Correspondent
TAIPEI, Sept. 7 -- Taiwan's petrochemical manufacturers have been among companies hardest hit as a 2 week water shortage continues to cripple one of the island's major industrial areas following Typhoon Aere.
The typhoon swept across northern Taiwan late last month, following two earlier major storms, resulting in severe silting of the Shihmen Reservoir that damaged water treatment equipment and forced a water plant shutdown that officials estimate could take as long as a year to turn around.
The reservoir is the sole source of water for scores of chemical companies, most of which have been forced to halt operations until an emergency water pipeline from Shihmen reservoir to a canal and another water processing plant 3 km away can be completed later this week.
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) put Taoyuan County petrochemical and chemical manufacturers' losses at $9.3 million during the first 8 days of the water stoppage, but a Kuanying Industrial Park official claims that daily losses to high tech and petrochemical firms alone have exceeded $20 million.
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) put Taoyuan County petrochemical and chemical manufacturers' losses at $9.3 million during the first 8 days of the water stoppage, but a Kuanying Industrial Park official claims that daily losses to high tech and petrochemical firms alone have exceeded $20 million.
