Renesas to Re-Open Naka Plant Early

Renesas Electronics is scrambling to get the Naka plant back online after suffering damage from 311 quake and tsunami disaster: http://bit.ly/jJf7hr

Renesas Electronics Corp., the biggest maker of microcontrollers used in cars, mobile phones and cameras, said it may complete inspections at a plant closed by last month’s earthquake in Japan ahead of schedule.

Renesas may finish inspections at the Naka plant in Ibaraki prefecture early, plant manager Takashi Aoyagi said today at the factory, as it works to restart output by June 15. The plant makes 200-millimeter and 300-millimeter chips for cars and electronics.

The company has 30 percent of the global market for microcontrollers, which are used in cars, mobile phones, television sets, cameras, refrigerators and rice cookers.

Renesas will start with production of about 3,000 20- millimeter wafers a month at the Naka plant, just under 10 percent of capacity, Corporate Officer Tetsuya Tsurumaru, in charge of the company’s production operations, told reporters today at Renesas’ Naka plant in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. An equal amount will be produced at the company’s other factories which are partially making up for the shortfall. Via Bloomberg.