Report Details HSC’s Energy Efficiency Upgrades, Community Engagement and Commitment to a Decarbonized Solar Supply Chain as Part of a ‘Sustainable Society’
HEMLOCK, Mich. ― Hemlock Semiconductor Operations (HSC) today released its 2020 Sustainability Report detailing the company’s performance over the last five years (2015-2019) in key sustainability areas, including environmental and social impact, governance, and innovation. Read the full report here.
This is HSC’s first annual sustainability report as the company continues its sustainability journey and drive toward what it’s calling a “Sustainable Society.” The report seeks to capture HSC’s core values of People, Safety, Quality and Productivity and the company’s important initiative to be more transparent in the reporting of its business operations.
“There is a deeply held belief at Hemlock Semiconductor that our obligation to sustainability does not start and end with the production of polysilicon at our plant. We’re committed to working with our suppliers and customers as true partners to remove carbon emissions up and down the solar supply chain,” said HSC Chairman and CEO Mark Bassett.
“We’re also proud of the ways we’ve engaged with our community and helped promote sustainability in the Great Lakes Bay Region. And internally at HSC, I am personally committed to keeping our focus on supporting a great culture in which all of our employees are coached and developed, recognized for their contributions and have fun together as part of a winning team,” Bassett added.
As the report notes, HSC produces polysilicon up to a 99.999999999% purity level — the equivalent of allowing no more than one grain of sand inside 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
“We are excited to release our first sustainability report as we heighten our commitment to a more sustainable society,” said HSC Sustainability Leader Steven Holty. “This effort will increasingly engage our employees, suppliers and purchasing partners as we work together to create a solar supply chain that takes sustainability to a higher level and makes our world a better place.”
The report notes that HSC has:
- Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity by 5 percent in polysilicon manufacturing during the past five years
- Donated over 15,000 pieces of PPE to a local healthcare facility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Continued its strong focus on youth & STEM programs, public & fire safety, and community initiatives
- Created more sustainability in its manufacturing process so that U.S.-produced solar grade polysilicon such as HSC’s has roughly half the “embodied carbon” as polysilicon produced in China, leading to less of the material worsening climate change
Throughout the report, HSC reaffirmed its commitment to lowering supply chain emissions or “embodied carbon” and increasing energy efficiencies in its production process. The report also notes that HSC is continuously striving to create a more diverse and inclusive workspace.
The 2020 Sustainability Report was prepared using company data from 2015-2019 by a dedicated internal team.
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