The Western North Carolina quartz mine upon which the chip industry apparently relies on in Helene-impacted Spruce Pine, North Carolina, says their facilities only received minor damage and they hope to resume deliveries of final product stock soon.
“Recovery efforts in the areas around our operations impacted by Hurricane Helene have made significant progress,” the company announced in a press release. “All Sibelco employees, and contractors who work for the company, have been accounted for and are safe. We are actively collaborating with the community, local authorities and businesses to support recovery activities.”
Spruce Pine is among the small towns taking some of the worst from Helene, severing roads and rail-lines, cutting the communities off from first responders and relief workers. The Spruce Pine mines, along with those operated by Quartz Corporation, represent the world’s largest and purest deposit of the high-purity quartz used in the manufacture of silicon wafers for the chip industry.
It’s so pure and plentiful that virtually all of the quartz crucibles used in the industry are fashioned from Spruce Pine quartz. Helen’s massive toll on Western North Carolina raised concerns that, in addition to the tragic loss of life, the storm damage may disrupt the entire global chip industry.
“Our efforts have included road clearing and repairs, the provision of temporarily power supply to organizations in greatest need, the supply of fuel and working with the cities of Spruce Pine and Bakersville to establish temporary water supply systems for residents,” continued the release. “Thanks to Sibelco’s long-standing commitment to sustainability, which includes measures to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events such as Hurricane Helene, our operations have shown resilience.”
The company said initial assessments show their operating facilities have only sustained minor damage and detailed assessments are ongoing. While cleanup and repair activities are ongoing, they said restoring power remains crucial to resuming operations while noting the repair of power lines leading to the plants has progressed significantly.
“Our final product stock has not been impacted. We are working closely with our customers to assess their needs and plan the restart of product shipments as soon as we can,” the statement says in conclusion. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by Hurricane Helene. We extend our gratitude to our employees, the first responders, and the construction crews who are working tirelessly on recovery activities in the region.”
