Bechtel to build Intel’s Ohio semiconductor plant

Reston-based Bechtel Corp. has been selected to design and build the first phase of Intel Corp.’s $20 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility near Columbus, Ohio, a project that will include as much steel as eight Eiffel Towers.

The work will include a total 2.5 million square feet, 600,000 square feet of which will be cleanrooms, according to a Nov. 28 announcement from the global engineering and construction company.

“Bechtel is proud to work with Intel and the people of Ohio to reclaim U.S. semiconductor manufacturing,” said Bechtel Manufacturing and Technology President Catherine Hunt Ryan in a statement. “A project of this complexity and magnitude — with an outsized impact on the community and economy — is the type of work Bechtel is uniquely positioned to deliver. We are honored to be chosen by Intel as its partner and we are ready to build their most advanced semiconductor facilities in the world.”

Intel announced in September that it would invest $20 billion to construct two chip factories in Licking County, Ohio, east of Columbus. The project represents the largest single private-sector investment in Ohio history. Bechtel will partner with the North America’s Building Trades Unions for the work, as well as with local educational organizations to develop training programs. The project is expected to create 3,000 Intel jobs and 7,000 construction jobs.

“Intel has chosen Bechtel to deliver our largest construction project to date, advancing our mission to create a more sustainable, resilient, and geographically balanced supply of silicon,” said Jackie Sturm, Intel’s corporate vice president of global supply chain operations. “Bechtel has decades of world-class expertise in complex global construction projects, leveraging a deeply experienced team, critical craft support and robust analytics platforms. Their relentless focus on safety, quality and innovation aligns with Intel key values. We look forward to building the future of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing together.”

Bechtel formed its manufacturing and technology business in April to focus on engineering, procurement and construction for the semiconductor and data center sectors. The Engineering News-Record, a construction industry trade magazine, ranks Bechtel as the nation’s second largest construction company.

Intel’s new facilities are expected to boost production for the chips, which have faced supply chain difficulties during the past two years. Intel’s announcement that it was picking the Ohio site follows passage of the federal $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act intended to ramp up semiconductor production in the U.S., as well as an executive order issued in August to kickstart a component of that bill that provides $52.7 billion for domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research.

Virginia leaders, including U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and state and local economic development officials, have said they want to make the state more attractive to chip manufacturers and the businesses that support them. However, Intel passed over Chesterfield County’s Upper Magnolia Green site in favor of the Ohio location. In October, Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc., which is expanding its Manassas facility as part of a $3 billion economic development deal that is among the largest in Virginia history, announced it would invest up to $100 billion to build a mega fabrication site in Central New York.