Intel Gives Boost to Project Starts in Rocky Mountain Region

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--As 2009 reaches its halfway point, the Rocky Mountains region has led the way in terms of projects that have kicked off construction for the first six months of the year. The region, which includes the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming, has seen 137 project starts with a combined estimated total investment value of $14.01 billion. The region has been given a major boost by two multibillion-dollar projects in New Mexico and Arizona. Both projects belong to Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) (Santa Clara, California) and involve upgrades of semiconductor-fabrication plants.

Click on image at right for a breakdown by region of U.S. project starts in the first half of 2009.

Intel's semiconductor-manufacturing plants in Chandler, Arizona, and Rio Rancho, New Mexico, are undergoing upgrades to develop Intel's latest 32-nanometer (nm) transistor chips. The "Westmere" chips will offer a substantial increase in performance from the company's currently manufactured 45-nm chips and will initially be used in mobile and desktop platforms. Both plants are undergoing retooling equipment to allow the manufacture of the new technology. The retooling process involves laminating equipment, immersion lithography systems, thermal processing equipment, ventilation systems and other equipment. Both projects kicked off in February of this year and are expected be fully complete by summer of 2010. The Arizona plant carries an estimated total investment value (TIV) of $3 billion, while TIV of the New Mexico plant is $2.5 billion, contributing significantly to the value of project starts in the Rocky Mountain region.

The next region in terms of the value of project starts is the Southwest region of the U.S., which includes the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Just under $12 billion has been spread across more than 300 project starts in the region so far this year. While one might expect the Petroleum Production and Refining industries to lead the way in this region, the Chemical Processing Industry has actually had the largest project start so far this year. Phase II of Shintec Incorporated's vinyls complex in Plaquemine, Louisiana, kicked off in March. The estimated $900 million complex will increase the facility's production of caustic soda, chlorine, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The project is expected to be wrapped up late next year.

Rounding out the top three regions in terms of value is the Southeast region with $9.07 billion of project starts. The largest-value project in the region is Dow Corning and Hemlock Semiconductor's joint grassroot polysilicon-manufacturing plant in Clarksville, Tennessee, which has an estimated investment value of $2 billion. For additional details, see article from June 2, 2009 - More Than $18 Billion of Project Starts Scheduled for Southeastern U.S. in 2009.

Detailed information on these and more than 1,500 other projects that have kicked off so far this year in the U.S. is available at Industrial Info's North American Industrial Database.

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Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy related markets. For more than 26 years, Industrial Info has provided plant and project opportunity databases, market forecasts, high resolution maps, and daily industry news.