Intel today announced plans for an initial investment of more than $20 billion in the construction of two new leading-edge chip factories in Licking County, OH.
According to the press release, the project would be the largest single private-sector investment in Ohio history, and the initial phase of the project is expected to create 3,000 Intel jobs and 7,000 construction jobs and 3,000 jobs at Intel. When you consider that electrical contractors typically account for 13% of all construction jobs, this project would require an estimated 900-plus electrical workers.
According to the press release, the site will span nearly 1,000 acres in Licking County, just outside of Columbus, and can accommodate a total of eight chip factories – also known as ‘fabs.’
”At full buildout, the total investment in the site could grow to as much as $100 billion over the next decade, making it one of the largest semiconductor manufacturing sites in the world," said the press release. “Planning for the first two factories will start immediately, with construction expected to begin late in 2022. Production is expected to come online in 2025, when the fab will deliver chips using the industry’s most advanced transistor technologies. Ohio will be home to Intel’s first new manufacturing site location in 40 years.”
The news follows Intel’s March 2021 announcement that it’s investing $20 billion into its Fab 42 semiconductor facility in Chandler, AZ. Other semiconductor manufacturers have also announced plans to build new facilities, including Samsung, which last year said it will build a $17-billion plant in the Austin metro.