The move will create hundreds of jobs, the people said, providing relief over concerns for Saarland state’s 40,000 auto industry workers, where many work to make combustion engine parts.
ZF and Wolfspeed hope to get a final decision on subsidies within the next couple of months, the people said.
The partners plan to start production of semiconductors in 2027 and reach full capacity by 2030.
Spokespeople for ZF and Wolfspeed declined to comment on the plans.
Handelsblatt earlier reported some details of the project.
The wafer fab in Saarland will help the EU in its ambitious goal of producing 20 percent of the world’s chips by 2030.
Germany’s progress luring international chipmakers has become tougher because of high energy prices and the pull of generous U.S. subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act.
U.S. chipmaker Intel has recently delayed the construction start of its 17-billion-euro ($18.4 billion) semiconductor factory in Magdeburg.
The company is in talks for more government subsidies to offset higher costs.
The type of chips Wolfspeed will make can boost the range of EVs by as much as 15 percent with faster charging compared to conventional silicon chips.
In addition to the factory, ZF and Wolfspeed plan to set up a R&D center in Germany, where ZF will be the majority owner, the people said.
The center will research applications of the chips in power inverters for electric ships or wind turbines.
Wolfspeed CEO Gregg Lowe said last year that the company was considering building a semiconductor factory in Germany, and that an investment decision would depend on the subsidies it received.
ZF ranks third on the Automotive News Europe list of top 100 global suppliers, with sales to automakers of $33.4 billion in 2020.
