Tag: Europe

  • Wind and solar closing on fossil fuels in EU power generation

    This one chart (published in Canary Media) illustrates both the case for optimism for our ability to deal with climate change as well as a clear case of how geopolitical pressures can dramatically impact energy choices: the rapid increase in use of renewable energy (mainly at the expense of fossil fuels) as source of electricity in the EU.

    The cleanest sources of electricity could soon make up the largest share of electricity generation in the European Union. Wind and solar made huge strides last year, producing more than one-quarter of the EU’s electricity for the first time, while fossil fuel generation plummeted. Power-sector emissions fell by a record 19 percent in the region last year.

    Chart: Wind and solar are closing in on fossil fuels in the EU
    Maria Virginia Olano | Canary Media

  • I want your market and you to pay for it

    I have followed TSMC very closely since I started my career in the semiconductor industry. A brilliant combination of bold business bet (by founder Morris Chang), industry tailwinds (with the rise of fabless semiconductor model), forward-thinking from the Taiwanese government (who helped launch TSMC), and technological progress, it’s been fascinating to see the company enter the public consciousness.

    In hearing about TSMC’s investment in the very aptly-named ESMC (European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), I can’t help but think this is another brilliant TSMC-esque play. TSMC gets:

    • Guarantee outsized market share in leading edge semiconductor technology in Europe
    • Paid for in part by some of their largest customers (Infineon, Bosch, and NXP) who will likely commit / guarantee some of their volumes to fill this new manufacturing facility
    • AND (likely) additional subsidies / policy support from the European Union government (who increasingly doesn’t want to be left out of advanced chip manufacturing given Asia’s current dominance and the US’s Inflation Reduction Act push)

    TSMC has managed to turn what could have been a disaster for them (growing nationalism in semiconductor manufacturing) into a subsidized, volume-committed factory.

    TSMC, in collaboration with Bosch, Infineon and NXP, is planning to invest in the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC), based in Dresden, Germany. This strategic move aims to meet the burgeoning demand for advanced semiconductor-manufacturing services, particularly in the automotive and industrial sectors.

    Driving Europe’s Chip Renaissance: TSMC’s Vision with ESMC
    Maurizio di Paolo Emilio | EETimes