According to Taiwanese media reports, TSMC suffered a seven-hour power outage at its one Taiwan plant on Wednesday, which disrupted the chip production for auto makers, exacerbating global auto chip shortage.

The power outage happened at its Fab14 P7 site in Tainan Science Park on April 14. And it was caused by damage to an electric cable near a power substation at the science park during another firm’s construction work.

Industry insiders estimate that TSMC has 30,000 wafers affected in the power outage, with the loss amounting to less than NT$1 billion (US$35 million).

It stretched from 11:06 a.m. to 6:23 p.m. Wednesday, and TSMC responded that power was restored on the same day.

The Fab 14 mainly produces 12-inch wafers, with a monthly production capacity of about 40,000 units, using mature process nodes of 40nm and 45nm. It makes principally automotive chips, rather than advanced chips used in other products.