Hurricane Helene Threatens Global Semiconductor Supply with Quartz Mine Shutdown

Spruce Pine, North Carolina, a critical source of high-purity quartz, faces infrastructure devastation, impacting chip manufacturing worldwide.

Spruce Pine, NC, produces the world's purest quartz, essential for semiconductor manufacturing, now at risk due to Hurricane Helene.
The town's infrastructure, including roads and power, is severely damaged, halting quartz mining and refining operations indefinitely.
Sibelco and The Quartz Corp., the only companies supplying this quartz, have no timeline for resuming operations.
The global semiconductor industry may face significant disruptions if the quartz supply is not restored within a few months.
Existing stockpiles and reduced demand may temporarily cushion the impact, but prolonged delays could severely affect chip production.