Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from production sites
STMicroelectronics is installing abatement systems in its production sites to reduce perfluorinated compounds emissions (PFCs), which account for most of the company’s direct emissions.
Main project's drivers for reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Energy and resource efficiency
Energy Decarbonisation
Energy efficiency improvements
Improving efficiency in non-energy resources
Emission removal
Financing low-carbon issuers or disinvestment from carbon assets
Reduction of other greenhouse gases emission
Project objectives
Reduce the direct emissions from ST’s production sites by lowering PFC gas emissions, which account for most of the direct gas emissions in the semiconductor industry.
This project is part of the carbon neutrality program goals for 2027, which was publicly announced by ST. Find out more at : https://investors.st.com/news-releases/news-release-details/stmicroelectronics-be-carbon-neutral-2027. It also contributes to the Science Based Targets objectives of reducing ST’s carbon emissions by 50% between 2018 and 2025. Read more: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action?sector=Semiconductors%20and%20Semiconductors%20Equipment#table
To this end, ST has set up PFC abatement systems to treat emissions from the equipment used to etch integrated circuits on silicon.
These systems ensure that molecules with a high global warming potential undergo thermal cracking, before being neutralized by physicochemical washing. The objective is to treat 100% of the PFC gases generated during specific industrial processes at the output of each piece of equipment concerned.
Emission scope(s)
on which the project has a significant impact
Scope 1
Direct emissions generated by the company's activity.
Scope 2
Indirect emissions associated with the company's electricity and heat consumption.
Scope 3
Emissions induced (upstream or downstream) by the company's activities, products and/or services in its value chain.
Emission Removal
Carbon sinks creation, (BECCS, CCU/S, …)
Avoided Emissions
Emissions avoided by the activities, products and/or services in charge of the project, or by the financing of emission reduction projects.
Scope 1 – Neutralization of PFCs
- Quantification: 16,500 t CO2/year
The investment project for abatement systems over the period 2021-2025 in France will reduce GHG emissions by 16,500 tCO2/year in France.
This number is the result of complex calculations that depend on the GHG protocol formulas for the use of PFCs in the semiconductor industry.
Key points
Invested amount
Further details will be provided in the near future.
Starting date of the project
September 2020
Project localisation
Crolles (Isère), Rousset (Bouches du Rhône), Tours (Indre et Loire)
Project maturity level
Prototype laboratory test (TRL 7)
Real life testing (TRL 7-8)
Pre-commercial prototype (TRL 9)
Small-scale implementation
Medium to large scale implementation
Economic profitability of the project (ROI)
Short term (0-3 years)
Middle term (4-10 years)
Long term (> 10 years)
Illustrations of the project
Reducing PFC emissions in the semiconductor industry contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):
- SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: lower GHGs emissions in the manufacturing process of integrated circuits.
- SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production: lower GHGs emissions in the manufacturing process of integrated circuits.
- SDG 13 Climate Action: lower GHGs emissions in the manufacturing process of integrated circuits.
Additional projects planned in Europe and Asia.
This initiative is in keeping with the Paris Climate Agreement, the French Business Climate Pledge, and STMicroelectronics’ carbon neutrality approach
To reach the goals of the program, STMicroelectronics has engaged in partnerships with:
- Suppliers of abatement systems.
- Local sub-contractors related to infrastructures.
Contact the company carrying the project
sustainable.development@st.com
