SILTERRA ONE OF THE FIRST TO ADOPT ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY NATURAL GAS SUPPLY SYSTEM
Wafer foundry to save RM1.4 million each year from new system 

Kulim, Malaysia (September 10, 2006) – Silterra Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Silterra), a leading semiconductor wafer foundry majority-owned by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, recently upgraded its facility to use a natural gas system as part of its strategy to implement cost efficient and environment friendly technologies in its operations. 

All systems within Silterra that previously used diesel or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are now being powered by natural gas as the primary source of fuel. 

“At Silterra, we have always given priority to using environment friendly technologies in our plant. Our decision to switch to natural gas is not only a testimony to that philosophy, but is also a very effective way to reduce operating cost,” said Bruce Gray, Chief Executive Officer of Silterra. 

“As a result of our move to 100% natural gas, we expect to save over RM1.4 million per annum on our fuel supply cost. This is certainly inline with our continuing efforts to maximise our resources,” he added.

Installation of the natural gas system, which was completed in five weeks, costs Silterra approximately RM1 million. 

Bruce added, “We are confident that we will recover the initial investment within a year due to lower maintenance and handling costs for the natural gas system compared to those of other fuels.”
As natural gas burns cleaner than either diesel or LPG, there is marked reduction in the level of air pollutants like smog and other suspended particles. This results in better air-quality in the area.

As a responsible corporate citizen and environment-friendly company, Silterra had also previously participated in the state government’s Bumi Hijau campaign, initiated car pooling among its employees, organised blood donation camps and carried out tree planting event among other initiatives as part of its ongoing environmental-awareness and corporate social responsibility programmes.


About Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.:

Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is a leading semiconductor wafer foundry that provides advanced foundry standard CMOS logic, high-voltage and mixed-signal/RF technologies. The company’s wafer fab has a designed capacity of 40,000 eight-inch wafers per month. Silterra, which is committed to world-class service and environmental friendliness, received Notable Mention in the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award competition for Environmental Performance in 2003 and 2005. The company is ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 certified. Silterra’s headquarters and factory are located in Kulim, Malaysia, and has offices in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), San Jose (California, USA) and Hsinchu (Taiwan). For additional information on Silterra or its services, please visit www.silterra.com.