Canada’s Brookfield to invest up to US$30 billion in Intel’s Arizona chip factories
- Brookfield’s infrastructure affiliate will invest up to US$15 billion for a 49 per cent stake, while Intel will retain majority ownership and operating control
- After Pat Gelsinger took over the reins of Intel in early 2021, the company announced multibillion-dollar investments across Europe and in the United States
Intel Corp and Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management on Tuesday agreed to jointly fund up to US$30 billion for the US chipmaker’s leading-edge chip factories in Arizona, fuelling Intel’s ambition to bring more chip production onshore without weighing on its balance sheet.
Brookfield’s infrastructure affiliate will invest up to US$15 billion for a 49 per cent stake in the expansion project, while Intel will retain majority ownership and operating control of the two chip factories meant to make advanced chips in Chandler, Arizona.
The investment is an expansion of an agreement signed by Intel and Brookfield in February to explore finance options to help fund new Intel manufacturing sites.
The two companies did not disclose specific terms. David Zinsner, Intel’s finance chief, told analysts the interest rate was between 4.4 per cent and 8.5 per cent, which is more expensive than debt financing but cheaper than equity financing.
For private capital providers like Brookfield, foundries represent a cash-flow generating investment opportunity resembling private equity investments in infrastructure, such as data centres and fibre, signalling investors’ long-term confidence in semiconductor demand.
Through the deal, Intel could preserve debt capacity for other priorities with financing commitment for a multi-year project, while maintaining operational control.