Intel confirms plans for Oregon semiconductor factory

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Intel has acknowledged it will soon start building a massive new semiconductor factory in Hillsboro.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the company told about 50 residents living near its Ronler Acres campus that it will build a third phase of its massive D1X manufacturing complex, confirming a newspaper report last month.

Intel also said it plans a new technology building to support the factory with emergency generators, utilities and additional parking.

Intel was vague on details, including the project’s exact size and timing. Hillsboro city officials say the chipmaker recently submitted construction permitting applications but the city has yet to fulfill public records requests for the documents.

The chipmaker says it plans to start work in Hillsboro sometime in 2019 but plans remain contingent on unspecified business and economic factors.

The Portland Business Journal reported that the expansion could create 1,750 new jobs in Hillsboro, a community about 20 miles west of Portland.

“Having additional fab space at-the-ready will help us respond more quickly to upticks in the market and enables us to reduce our time to increased supply by up to roughly 60 percent,” Ann B. Kelleher, senior vice president and general manager of manufacturing and operations at Intel Corporation, said in a news release. “In the weeks and months ahead, we will be working through discussions and permitting with local governments and communities. … We will continue applying our advantages as an integrated device manufacturer to deliver the world’s best silicon. To do that, we will continue to ensure we have the necessary global manufacturing footprint and capabilities as our business expands.”