N.C. Quartz Mine Owner Says Helene Damage Was Minimal

Sibelco's Spruce Pine, N.C., facility before Hurricane Helene. (Sibelco)

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The owner of a North Carolina quartz mine that’s a key source for high-purity quartz used in global semiconductor manufacturing said its operations sustained only minor damage in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Cleanup and repair activities are underway at the Spruce Pine mine and restoring power remains crucial, Sibelco said in a statement Oct. 4. It did not provide a timeline for a reopening. All of its employees and contractors were accounted for and safe, and its final stock hasn’t been impacted, the company said.

Sibelco and a nearby mine owned by Quartz Corp. were forced to shut operations last month after Hurricane Helene barreled through the western part of the state, washing away homes and businesses, destroying roads and disrupting power. The two operations account for more than 80% of the world’s supply of commercial high-purity quartz, BloombergNEF said in a report last year, which is used in a crucial step in the supply chain for making semiconductors.

Quartz Corp. said in a statement on Oct. 2 that damage at its facility was concentrated around ancillary units, and that it was confident it could avoid major supply disruptions. Resuming operations will depend on rebuilding local infrastructure, it said.

Spruce Pine, a small mountain town north of Asheville, is among the only sites in the world to contain high-purity quartz. The material is key to making semiconductors used in mobile phones, computers, solar panels and other technology. Global semiconductor makers are monitoring supplies, but so far the industry isn’t expecting immediate repercussions.