{"id":108966,"date":"2024-10-01T04:18:47","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T21:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=108966"},"modified":"2024-10-01T04:18:47","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T21:18:47","slug":"spruce-pine-just-got-hit-by-helene-the-fallout-on-the-tech-industry-could-be-huge-npr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=108966","title":{"rendered":"Spruce Pine just got hit by Helene. The fallout on the tech industry could be huge : NPR"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"storytext\">\n<div id=\"resg-s1-25519\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"&#10;        --source-width: 5712;&#10;        --source-height: 4284;&#10;    \">\n        <picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/85\/format\/webp\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F39%2F80%2F544f567545fcb4473f4167bceb4d%2Fbost-1.jpg\" class=\"img\" type=\"image\/webp\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F39%2F80%2F544f567545fcb4473f4167bceb4d%2Fbost-1.jpg\" data-format=\"webp\"\/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F39%2F80%2F544f567545fcb4473f4167bceb4d%2Fbost-1.jpg\" class=\"img\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F39%2F80%2F544f567545fcb4473f4167bceb4d%2Fbost-1.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F39%2F80%2F544f567545fcb4473f4167bceb4d%2Fbost-1.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Hurricane Helene dropped more than 2 feet of rain on Spruce Pine, N.C. The town is home to one of the world's only sources of high purity quartz, which is used to manufacture silicon chips \" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F39%2F80%2F544f567545fcb4473f4167bceb4d%2Fbost-1.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Hurricane Helene dropped more than 2 feet of rain on Spruce Pine, N.C. The town is home to one of the world&#8217;s only sources of high-purity quartz, which is used to manufacture silicon chips and solar panels.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                    Spencer Bost<\/p>\n<p>                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><\/p>\n<p>        Spencer Bost<\/p>\n<p>    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A tiny town in North Carolina that\u2019s just been devastated by Hurricane Helene could end up severely disrupting the global supply chain for microchips and solar panels.<\/p>\n<p>Nestled in the Appalachian mountains, the community of Spruce Pine, population 2,194, is known for its hiking and local artists. It&#8217;s also America\u2019s sole source of high-purity quartz. Helene dumped more than 2 feet of rain on the town, destroying roads, shops and cutting power and water.<\/p>\n<p>But its reach will likely be felt far beyond the small community.<\/p>\n<p>Semiconductors are the brains of every computer-chip-enabled device. Solar panels are a key part of the global push to combat climate change. To make both semiconductors and solar panels, companies need crucibles and other equipment that can withstand extraordinarily high heat and be kept absolutely clean. <\/p>\n<aside id=\"ad-backstage-wrap\" class=\"ad-wrap backstage\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>One material fits the bill: quartz. Pure quartz. <\/p>\n<p>Quartz that comes, overwhelmingly, from Spruce Pine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs far as we know, there\u2019s only a few places in the world that have ultra-high-quality quartz,\u201d according to Ed Conway, author of <em>Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization. <\/em>Russia and Brazil also supply high-quality quartz, he says, but<em> <\/em>\u201cSpruce Pine has far and away the [largest amount] and highest quality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Conway says without super-pure quartz for the crucibles, which can often be used just once, it would be impossible to produce most semiconductors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPurity really does matter,\u201d he says. \u201cYou&#8217;re talking about a process to create the silicon wafers that later become silicon chips, where one single atom being in the wrong place\u201d could derail production.<\/p>\n<p>Companies have been pursuing artificial substitutes. So far, those alternatives can&#8217;t satisfy the world\u2019s demand for this pure quartz.<\/p>\n<p>According to an annual report from TECHCET, a market research firm, quartz equipment is a $2.12 billion industry <a href=\"https:\/\/techcet.com\/semiconductor-quartz-equipment-components-forecast\/\"><u>and growing<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"edTag\">Helene devastates town<\/h3>\n<p>Spruce Pine received <a href=\"https:\/\/climate.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2024\/09\/rapid-reaction-historic-flooding-follows-helene-in-western-nc\/\"><u>24.12 inches of rain from Helene<\/u><\/a>, according to the National Weather Service. The massive inundation caused the North Toe River to flood, devastating the downtown area, according to Spencer Bost, the executive director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoversprucepinenc.com\/\"><u>Downtown Spruce Pine<\/u><\/a>, the local business development association.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"ad-secondary-wrap\" class=\"ad-wrap secondary\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s flooded up to the awnings, about 10 feet,\u201d he says of the downtown\u2019s lower street. \u201cLower street was destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The town\u2019s grocery store was also heavily damaged in the flooding. Power, water and cellular service are all down, Bost says. Fallen trees and washed-out roads have left the community isolated from the outside.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were there for about three days before we got enough chainsaws together to cut a path out of our neighborhood,\u201d Bost says. He and his fianc\u00e9e spent nine hours working their way to Greenville, N.C., where they\u2019ve temporarily sought shelter.<\/p>\n<p>The conditions at the mines that produce the quartz remain unclear. \u201cWe are in a phase of assessing the situation, and it is far too early to comment on the impact to high-purity quartz production,\u201d Mary Kristin Haugen of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thequartzcorp.com\/\">Quartz Corporation<\/a> told NPR in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>A second major supplier, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sibelco.com\/en\">Sibelco<\/a>, based in Antwerp, Belgium, did not immediately respond to NPR\u2019s email.<\/p>\n<p>Images verified by NPR show that even if the mines are intact, getting quartz out of the region may be a challenge. The main CSX rail line in and out of Spruce Pine runs along the North Toe River and has been heavily damaged. The rail line was the primary shipping point for quartz from the mines.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"edTag\">Fallout will depend on how long disruption lasts<\/h3>\n<p>Conway says he believes chipmakers have stocks of ultra-pure quartz that would prevent a short-term supply chain disruption from hobbling production. But, he adds, if Spruce Pine remains cut off from the rest of the world for long, it could have a big impact.<\/p>\n<p>Previous disruptions to superconductor supply chains, from earthquakes to fires, have sent ripple effects across the many industries that rely on chips for their products and operations. A 2008 fire at a quartz refinery in Spruce Pine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalriskintel.com\/insights\/connecting-sand-mining-and-high-tech-industry\"><u>impacted the market<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"ad-third-wrap\" class=\"ad-wrap third\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Likewise, solar expert Johannes Bernreuter, head of Bernreuter Research says that if a disruption went on for \u201cmore than a few weeks,\u201d it would \u201cpose a serious problem for the production\u201d of silicon ingots needed in the photovoltaic, or PV, industry.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/07\/06\/1013266774\/how-did-china-become-the-worlds-dominant-polysilicon-producer\"><u>China is the major producer of solar panels<\/u><\/a>, and it relies heavily on imports of high-quality quartz from Spruce Pine, he says.<\/p>\n<p>Lita Shon-Roy, the president and CEO of market research firm TECHCET, has been tracking the supply chain for semiconductors for two decades. She says it\u2019s amazing that the industry hasn\u2019t been more concerned about the vulnerability created from relying on this one region of North Carolina for a crucial material.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery time I\u2019ve asked in the last two decades, the question always comes back, \u2018Well, where else are we supposed to get it?'&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p>The United States and China are in a global competition to secure access to raw materials for semiconductors and green technology. Frantic searches are underway for new deposits and new methods, across a range of minerals.<\/p>\n<p>But when it comes to pure quartz?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI haven\u2019t heard of any viable sources yet to replace what\u2019s in North Carolina,\u201d Shon-Roy says.<\/p>\n<p><em>NPR&#8217;s Michael Copley contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/09\/30\/nx-s1-5133462\/hurricane-helene-quartz-microchips-solar-panels-spruce-pine\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hurricane Helene dropped more than 2 feet of rain on Spruce Pine, N.C. The town is home to one of the world&#8217;s only sources of high-purity quartz, which is used &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=108966\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=108966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108966\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=108966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=108966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=108966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}