Project Bulletin: March 11, 2024

The new JV in Gujarat will produce over 4 million wafers per year.

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A joint venture worth $11 billion is set to begin construction this year in India’s western state of Gujarat. Tata Group and Taiwan-based Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation believe the facility in the town of Dholera will be the country’s ideal entry into the global semiconductor supply chain. The plant will be powered by artificial intelligence, a first-of-its-kind project for India, and is anticipated to produce 50,000 wafers per month. From construction to completion, over 20,000 jobs will be created. “This marks a beginning of a new era for India,” said Tata Electronics CEO Dr. Randhir Thakur. “Our partnership with PSMC provides access to a broad technology portfolio in leading edge and mature nodes including 28nm, 40nm, 55nm, 90nm & 110nm and also collaboration for high-volume manufacturing. We are confident that the upcoming fab will support our ambitions of ‘Make in India, For the World.’ We will be able to serve our global customers’ requirements for supply chain resilience and meet the growing domestic demand.”

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Microsoft plans to add wet grasslands, plant native trees and introduce wildlife ponds to bring its new site back to life.

Rendering courtesy of Microsoft

By 2027, Microsoft will begin construction on two new data centers in Yorkshire, England. The company plans to build on a site that was formerly used as the Eggborough Power Station, which closed in 2018. Both data centers will consist of two stories encompassing data halls, office space and ancillary facilities. This news follows Microsoft’s 2023 announcement doubling its UK data center capacity. The company’s $1.2 billion West London data center in Park Royal is expected to be complete in 2026.

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A new investment in South Carolina from Leonardo DRS aims to grow naval propulsion capacity and support priority U.S. Navy programs.

Photo courtesy of Leonardo DRS

Defense contractor Leonardo DRS has plans to bring a $120 million manufacturing facility to Goose Creek, South Carolina, by 2026. The 140,000-sq.-ft. plant will be located 25 minutes outside of Charleston and will focus on manufacturing and testing materials like solid-state drives, electric motors, control systems and cooling equipment used for the company’s advanced naval electric propulsion systems. “We are proud to be building the next-generation electric propulsion system components for the new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine,” said Leonardo DRS CEO Bill Lynn. “This new facility in South Carolina expands our capability to support our U.S. Navy customers on this and other critical programs that enhance the nation’s submarine industrial base.” It was stated that this site was chosen due to its proximity to barge transportation on local waterways and the open ocean for shipping directly to the company’s customers.

Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore, edited by Adam Bruns