TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is reportedly planning to construct a second fab in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, according to Japanese outlet Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun on Tuesday (July 11).

The report said that construction on the second facility is slated to begin in April 2024, according to CNA. Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun also claimed the fab would begin commercial production of 12nm chips in 2026.

TSMC declined to comment on the Japanese report, saying it was in a 10-day silent period ahead of a second quarter shareholder meeting scheduled for July 20, per CNA. TSMC Chair Mark Liu (劉德音) said at the beginning of June that Kumamoto would be an ideal location for a second Japanese factory, but that TSMC had not yet secured enough land for the project.

Meanwhile, TSMC’s first Japanese fab is under construction in the town of Kikuyo and is expected to be ready for mass production in December 2024. It will have two production lines, one that makes 12/16 nm chips and another that produces 22/28nm semiconductors. TSMC has said it will have a monthly capacity of 55,000 12-inch wafers.