Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics Corp. resumed production at a plant near Tokyo on Saturday, about a month after fire damaged the facility, sources close to the matter said.

Renesas, the world's leading supplier of microcontrollers used in vehicle power control units, had said it was aiming to restart the plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of the capital, within a month of the March 19 fire. The incident came at a time when the world is facing a semiconductor supply shortage.

The company completed repairs and preparations in cleanrooms, which are crucial for semiconductor manufacturing, on April 9 as part of work to restart production.

Supplied photo taken on April 9, 2021, shows a clean room at Renesas Electronics Corp.'s Naka plant in Ibaraki Prefecture. (Kyodo)

Renesas expects it will take about 100 days from the time of the incident to return to pre-fire shipment levels as it is taking time to procure some manufacturing devices to replace those lost in the blaze.

The fire, which broke out from plating equipment in the early hours of the March morning, is believed to have been caused by an electricity overload, burning an area of about 600 square meters.

Hidetoshi Shibata, president of Renesas, is scheduled to hold a press conference Monday to detail the status of the plant.

Supplied photo shows Renesas Electronics Corp.'s Naka plant in Ibaraki Prefecture after a fire on March 19, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Renesas Electronics Corp.)(Kyodo)

The automotive industry faces a global semiconductor crunch triggered by a coronavirus pandemic-driven demand increase for digital products that require the chips.

Major automakers including Toyota Motor Corp. have slashed output around the world due to the shortage.

During a summit meeting on Friday in Washington, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and President Joe Biden agreed Japan and the United States will "partner on sensitive supply chains, including on semiconductors, promoting and protecting the critical technologies that are essential to our security and prosperity," according to the joint statement.

In response to the global supply crunch, U.S. semiconductor giant Intel Corp. has said it will spend $20 billion to build new chip factories in Arizona.


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