Sibelco, one of the companies mining high-purity quartz in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, has resumed operations. In an update on Thursday, the company said it was “gradually ramping up to full capacity” production and shipping of the quartz, which is critical to the chip manufacturing process.
Spruce Pine has the only naturally occurring quartz in the world that is pure enough to be used as a crucible in chip manufacturing. In the past, some experts have warned that any disruption to Spruce Pine's quartz mining could have a massive impact on the supply chain for the chips used in phones, computers, solar panels and other devices.
Quartz Corp, which also mines high-purity quartz in Spruce Pine, ceased operations on September 26. However, no “critical situation” is expected for industries that use the quartz, as stocks and finished products are available throughout the supply chain.
“While the road to full recovery will be long for our communities, resuming our operations and resuming deliveries to customers is an important contribution to rebuilding the local economy,” Sibelco CEO Hilmar Rode said in the release.