FENC believes that water resources should be shared and protected, and pays close attention to the health of water resources and environment in regions that house its production sites. The Company continues to lower water consumption during production by establishing reduction targets for water withdrawal per unit of production. Partnering with its customers, FENC strives to protect water resources. Its water resources management plan has 100% coverage, and takes governmental policies, corporate development, industry evolvement as well as the local needs into consideration. FENC manages, allocates and distributes water resources in a reasonable and effective manner, aiming to minimize consumption and maximize efficiency during storage and utilization. In addition, the quantity and approach of water withdrawal at FENC do not pose any significant negative impact on the water sources as well as the surrounding habitats and residents. 

Water Resources System Establishment and Management

Measures for water resources management 

1. Water Conservation Measures

1. Avoidance: Measures include adjusting the concentration ratio of cooling water, reducing the frequency of water softening and regeneration, and modifying the operation period of sand filters and softening equipment.
2. Rainwater Recycling: Measures include installing additional rainwater harvesting conduits.
   • At the knitting and dyeing plant of FEPV, rainwater is harvested in a rainwater collection tank, and cycled through the rainwater recycling and treatment system. A total of 30,000 kiloliters of rainwater was harvested in 2023.
3. Reclaimed Water Reuse: Measures include the recycling of water that circulates through the boilers and production process.
   • FEDZ increased the cleaning frequency of the ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, which led to a 5% growth in the recycling rate of reclaimed water. The replacement of the filtration membrane also increased the recycling rate by 2%. The measures conserved a total of 30,048 kiloliters of water in 2023.
   • At OGM, the water used during the rinsing process is filtered through oscillation to remove residues, and stored in the water tank to be looped back to the primary and secondary floatation tanks. The water is then filtered again and stored in a 10-metric-ton water tank as the water supply for shredders. The measure conserved a total of 46,656 kiloliters of water in 2023.
4. Replacement of Dated Equipment: Measures include the replacement of filtration membranes to improve the recycling rate of reclaimed water and the incorporation of new equipment to improve water efficiency.
   • Kuanyin Dyeing and Finishing Plant purchased three low liquor ratio dyeing machines in 2023, which conserves 45,828 kiloliters of water annually.
5. Production Refinement: The refinement of production process is ongoing with production parameters adjusted based on professional expertise to improve water conservation.
   • OGM established wastewater treatment processes and thresholds for reclaimed water quality. By maintaining consistent effluent quality from the membrane bioreactor (MBR) and keeping the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and conductivity within the standards, the plant increased the use of reclaimed water during production. The water reclaimed grew by 7.7% in 2023.
   • Kuanyin Dyeing and Finishing Plant increased the cloth capacity of the printing and dyeing machine by 2.6%, which saved 10,800 kiloliters of water.
   • In September 2023, FIGP decreased the water flow rate when cleaning the rinser in the recycling system, which reduced water withdrawal by 6,180 kiloliters .

2. Emergency Water Supply Backup Plan

FENC has implemented response measures based on the water shortage warnings issued by local governments. In Taiwan, this would refer to the water level signals issued by the Water Resources Agency. All production sites have established contingency plans to provide backup water supply during emergencies. In 2023, there were no occurrences of production interruption caused by water shortages. FENC’s emergency responses for water shortages are as follows:

1. Adjust the discharge flow from water towers and the air-conditioning system to reduce the need for discharge and replenishment.
2. Activate effluent recycling and the RO membrane filtration system as a backup water source.
3. When the water level in the retention pond reaches the lowest permitted level, evaluation is initiated to assess the need for activating backup water supply within the production site, which includes the well water or groundwater.
4. Make price inquiries regarding water tankers and delivery distance periodically, and formulate contingency plans as emergency responses.

3. Real-Time Water Consumption Monitoring

Water meters are installed to record daily consumption, track areas with unusual water usage, and perform timely repairs.

4. Incorporation of ISO 46001 Water Efficiency Management System

FENC conducts water consumption review and performance evaluation, and optimizes the daily management of major water facilities based on the international standards of ISO 46001:2019 water efficiency management systems-requirements and usage guidelines. The Company incorporates Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) regarding the response strategies and actions addressing water risks and opportunities, as well as the establishment, implementation, operation and control of the water efficiency targets.

In March 2022, Plant 2 of OPTC was among the first ten entities in Taiwan to obtain the ISO 46001 certification. The plant also passed the reassessment in 2023. In the future, FENC will continue to incorporate water efficiency management systems at all production sites and with additional production sites certified.

Water Use Planning Procedure of ISO 46001

Water Consumption Performance

Water Withdrawal in 2023

Water Withdrawal per Unit Production

Unit:  kiloliter / metric ton of production

Water Withdrawal and Water Consumption

Unit: megaliter