EUV chip production will soon reach record levels of energy consumption

Chip manufacturing equipment poses increasingly important environmental issues

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In a nutshell: Extreme ultraviolet lithography is one of the most complex technological innovations in recent years. EUV machines are essential for producing smaller, more powerful microchips, but they consume massive amounts of power. Worse yet, their thirst for electricity is only expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

According to a recent TechInsights report, fabs equipped with EUV tools could see electricity consumption exceed 54,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually by 2030. Put into perspective, that's more than the total power usage of smaller nations like Singapore or Greece.

Dutch company ASML is currently the world's only manufacturer of EUV tools, which require substantial investment and effort to integrate into chipmaking operations. Fabs using EUV systems for high-volume manufacturing can be found in countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the US, Germany, and Ireland.

Current-generation EUV tools consume up to 1,170 kilowatts, while next-generation High NA EUV scanners are expected to reach power consumption levels of around 1,400 kilowatts.

TechInsights currently lists 31 fabs employing EUV machines for their chipmaking operations, with an additional 28 expected to come online by the end of 2030.

While EUV tools consume a significant amount of electricity, they account for only about 11 percent of the total energy consumption of an entire chip fab. By 2030, the 59 chipmaking plants equipped with EUV capabilities are projected to consume a staggering 54,000 gigawatts annually, which is 19 times the electricity needed to power the Las Vegas Strip.

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As foundry businesses around the world rapidly adopt EUV machines, TechInsights warns that this trend will have significant environmental implications.

The report also offers potentially useful advice to chipmaking giants, who will soon face a crossroads between continued innovation and substantial energy implications. The industry should invest more heavily in energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources, the report notes. Although reopening long-closed nuclear plants may not seem like the most environmentally friendly option, the debate on this issue continues.