Renesas says it will take at least a month to restart fire-damaged chip line

<p style="text-align: center;"><img title="1616396058135834.jpg" alt="6.jpg" src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20210322/1616396058135834.jpg"/></p><p>Japan&#39;s&nbsp;Renesas Electronics, a key automotive&nbsp;semiconductor&nbsp;supplier, said on Sunday that production at a fire-damaged plant will take at least a month to restart, potentially worsening a chip shortage that is disrupting car production.<br/><br/>About two-thirds of production on the advanced 300mm wafer line affected by Friday&#39;s fire is automotive chips, CEO Hidetoshi Shibata told an online briefing.<br/><br/>&quot;It comes at a time when there isn&#39;t excess production capacity,&quot; he said.<br/><br/>Carmakers are already struggling with a global chip shortage caused by a COVID-19-driven boom in consumer electronics and an unexpectedly strong rebound in auto sales. Makers such as&nbsp;Ford Motor Co,&nbsp;Honda Motor Co&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nissan Motor Co&nbsp;have had to trim production plans as a result.<br/><br/>Carmakers will start to feel a supply pinch in about a month, according to Renesas.<br/><br/>The chipmaker said it along with automakers and their key suppliers are looking for ways to minimize the impact of the stoppage, Shibata said.<br/><br/>A&nbsp;Toyota Motor Corp&nbsp;spokeswoman said the world&#39;s largest carmaker is currently assessing the situation.<br/><br/>The fire at the&nbsp;Naka&nbsp;chip plant in northeast Japan destroyed 11 machines, or 2% of the manufacturing equipment, and sent smoke billowing through the cleanroom where even small particles of dust can damage wafers during the sensitive fabrication process.<br/><br/>Renesas may not be able to replace all the destroyed equipment within a month, Shibata said, meaning that a return to full production could take longer.<br/><br/>The company, he added, may be able to rely on other plants to replace around two-thirds of the lost production, which is worth around 17 billion yen ($156 million) a month.<br/><br/>The latest disruption at the Naka plants comes after production stopped for a few days last month after an earthquake cut power and back up generators failed to start.<br/><br/>In 2011, Renesas had to close the facility for three months following the deadly earthquake that devastated Japan&#39;s northeast coast. ($1 = 108.8700 yen)</p>