Samsung making efforts to restart its Austin chip plant as soon as possible

Samsung had to shut down its semiconductor chip plant in Austin, Texas, due to a state-wide power shortage. Now, the company is making all the efforts it can to restart the plant as soon as possible. The South Korean firm has already planned to send engineers from South Korea to its Austin plant to restart the chip production.

The company has confirmed that it is sending its engineers along with engineers from its partners to Austin so that the plant can be restarted quickly when it is possible. Dozens of engineers are getting tested for COVID-19 in South Korea so that they don’t need to go through quarantine after reaching the US. The company staff can then head off straight to the chip plant in Austin.

Although Samsung’s Austin chip plant has local engineers, it would need as much support as possible because it wasn’t a regular shutdown. The company had to shut down production at its chip plant earlier this week after receiving orders from local authorities following heavy snowing and power shortage. It is still unclear as to when Samsung can restart the plant.

Amidst the ongoing global chip shortage, the shutdown of Samsung’s chip plant isn’t good news. The company makes DRAM, NAND flash, and mobile SoCs at the plant. Apart from Samsung, other foundries such as NXP Semiconductors and Infineon Semiconductors were affected as well. The South Korean firm is likely looking at millions of dollars in damages due to this shutdown.