Taiwan's second largest microchip maker, United Microelectronics Corp, said yesterday its investment and capital expenditure plans were on track despite the impact of last month's quake.
"We are proceeding with investment plans in the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park," group spokesman Peter Chang said, referring to UMC's ambitious investment projects in the new high-tech complex in southern Taiwan.
"The structure of our first 12-inch wafer fab there will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2000, with equipment installation due to begin in the first quarter of 2001," Chang told foreign reporters.
The plant is estimated to cost US$3 billion.
Chang put the UMC group's capital expenditure for next year at around US$2.2 billion as previously scheduled.
He said it took UMC 11 days to restore production after an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck the island on Sept. 21.
"By full recovery, I mean resuming the productivity level posted ahead of the earthquake," Chang said, adding that the recovery process could have been shortened "if not for the power outage."
Power supply was restored last week at the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park, the island's "Silicon Valley."
The September quake ruined the Chungliao substation in central Taiwan and virtually paralyzed the power supplier's distribution system, which pumps three million kilowatts of electricity to consumers in the north.
The temblor is expected to shave 25 percent and 12.5 percent off the UMC group's sales in September and October. UMC recorded NT$5.5 billion in sales revenues in August.
Chang said UMC was ready to sign a long-term contract with the local power supplier to supplement the state-run Taiwan Power Co.
Power supplies were restored in full Monday to factories in northern Taiwan hit by the earthquake.
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