Huge Kumamoto Quake Disrupts Chip Production in Kyushu

Tokyo, July 30 (Jiji Press)--A huge earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday has forced semiconductor-related plants across the Kyushu region in southwestern Japan, a major chip production hub, to suspend operations.

In response to the earthquake, companies are rushing to restore operations amid concerns that disruptions in semiconductor supplies for use in automobiles, home appliances and various other products could affect a wide range of industries.

On Wednesday night, Renesas Electronics Corp. resumed production at its Nishiki plant in the town of Nishiki, one of its two facilities in Kumamoto. The plant, which was shut down immediately after the quake, primarily produces microcontrollers for automobiles.

Renesas aims to resume operations at the remaining Kawashiri plant next Wednesday. The plant was also shut down after major earthquakes hit Kumamoto in 2016. At the time, it took a month to restore production at the plant to the pre-disaster levels.

On Thursday, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. partially resumed operations at two factories in Kumamoto. On the same day, Ebara Corp. restarted production at a chip manufacturing equipment plant in the town of Nankan after confirming the safety of the facility.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]