URGENT UPDATE: Micron’s ambitious plans for semiconductor fabrication plants in Clay are facing significant delays, as the latest timeline reveals construction will be pushed back by years. The revised schedule was announced in the Final Environmental Impact Statement released on Friday, raising immediate questions about the project’s future.
The construction of the four fabs initially slated for earlier completion is now set to begin later than expected. While Micron will commence tree clearing in 2023, the timeline for the first two fabs has been adjusted significantly. Fab 1 is now scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2028 and is projected to begin operations as late as the third quarter of 2030, marking a two-year delay from previous estimates. Fab 2 will break ground two years later, in the last quarter of 2030, with an anticipated opening in the last quarter of 2033, three years beyond earlier projections.
Construction delays extend to fabs 3 and 4 as well. The start date for fab 3 is now pushed back two years to the third quarter of 2035, while fab 4 will see a delay of one quarter, with completion now expected by 2041.
These adjustments will also impact the timeline for essential facilities on the Micron campus. The start of construction for childcare facilities has been moved from 2026 to 2028, and the health care and recreation centers will see their timelines shift from 2030 to 2032. Furthermore, securing warehouse space has been rescheduled for November 2028 due to the later initiation of wafer production.
The overall construction process is now expected to unfold over approximately 16 years, contingent on obtaining necessary permits and approvals. Despite these setbacks, the manufacturing facility is projected to ramp up to full production by 2045, creating over 9,000 permanent onsite jobs in the process.
Micron’s spokesperson assured stakeholders, stating,
“Despite these potential construction schedule changes, final construction on the Micron Campus including Fab 4 would still be completed in 2041, and ramp-up to full four-fab production would still occur by the end of 2045.”
As construction timelines extend, the communities and economies surrounding Clay are poised to experience prolonged uncertainty. The urgency of these developments cannot be overstated, as they will impact local job markets and the broader semiconductor landscape.
Stay tuned for more updates on Micron’s construction plans and the implications for the semiconductor industry.
