The global technology panorama is experiencing unprecedented activity right now, with key developments happening in Amazon, Google, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Dutch manufacturer ASML Holdings.
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), first to bring attention, is a key driver in pushing forward the technology sector globally. They released an impactful second-quarter result, flaunting a net profit rise estimated at 15.2% to a record TWD 134.4 billion ($4.8 billion). These numbers showcase a resilient technology demand during the prevailing pandemic upheaval, reinforcing the company’s indisputbbale distinction in the global chip industry. The Internet of Things (IoT), high-performance computing (HPC), and automotive applications have been identified as primary areas likely to secure TSMC’s prosperous future. Moreover, TSMC anticipates around 20% of its sales in 2021 to come from 5-nanometer or less sophisticated technology nodes, reinforcing the company’s technological dominance.
On the other hand, ASML Holdings, the Dutch lithography equipment manufacturer, also posted promising quarterly results. The company unveiled sales of €4.02 billion (($4.78 billion) and a net income of €1.03 billion in the second quarter. Significantly, EUV’s (extreme ultraviolet) technology’s promising applications have been a driver for ASML. EUV technology, which makes it possible to create smaller, more powerful microchips, is a key innovational leap in the chip industry. ASML anticipates selling 55 EUV systems in 2021, which is testament to increasing adoption within the semiconductor industry.
In the renewable energy field, e-commerce giant Amazon and tech-leader Google have both pledged significant shifts. They have both signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Lightsource BP and AES Corp respectively, to ensure that their power usage is supplied substantially by nuclear energy. Both companies aim to rely largely on zero-carbon nuclear sources by 2025 to power their global operations, reflecting an evolving commitment to decarbonization.
Amazon’s Lightsource BP deal denotes the largest corporate power purchase agreement in the UK, set to provide Amazon with 132 MW of power. The byproduct of this commitment serves the dual purpose of supporting Amazon’s aim of powering 100% of its operations with renewable energy by 2025 while also ironically bolstering the UK’s renewable energy market.
Together with this, Google has signed a 24/7 Carbon-free Energy (CFE) deal with AES Corp to power its data centers in Virginia with nuclear energy. This move is consistent with Google’s vision of driving the internet’s infrastructure to run wholly on carbon-free energy. The 24/7 CFE deal positions Google closer to its 2025 goal of achieving 100% carbon-free energy usage at all of their data centers globally.
All these developments indicate an exciting period for the technology sector globally. With TSMC and ASML pushing technological boundaries in
