Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation (KHNP) and several South Korean conglomerates have signed new agreements with American partners to support the expansion of civilian nuclear energy in the United States. These commitments include the deployment of small modular reactors, strengthening uranium enrichment capacity and participation in a large-scale integrated energy project.
SMRs to power data centres
X-energy Reactor Company, Amazon, KHNP and Doosan Enerbility signed a strategic cooperation agreement to accelerate the deployment of X-energy’s advanced Xe-100 modular reactors using TRISO-X fuel. The stated goal is to deliver more than 5 gigawatts of new nuclear energy by 2039 to meet the rising power demand from AI-driven data centres.
The agreement covers engineering, supply chain, construction, long-term operations and financing. It is part of a broader economic partnership between South Korea and the United States, with up to $50bn in public and private investments expected to be mobilised.
Doosan to support module manufacturing
Doosan Enerbility will provide the manufacturing capabilities required for the Xe-100 reactor components. The project also receives backing from other South Korean industrial firms, including DL E&C, which has partnered with X-energy since 2023 in engineering and construction services. Amazon Web Services noted the partnership addresses growing electricity needs at its US facilities.
X-energy Chief Executive Officer Clay Sell said that cooperation with South Korean companies would accelerate the commercialisation of this fourth-generation nuclear technology.
Uranium enrichment capacity to expand in Ohio
KHNP, POSCO International and Centrus Energy Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding to assess potential investment in expanding Centrus’s uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio. The objective is to strengthen US supply independence in enriched uranium, as nearly all current capacity is controlled by foreign state-owned entities.
The agreement also covers further areas of cooperation, including new supply contracts for low-enriched uranium (LEU) and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). The extension of a contract signed in February between KHNP and Centrus remains contingent on securing federal funding to scale up domestic fuel production.
Participation in Fermi America’s 11 GW energy complex
KHNP and Samsung C&T signed a separate memorandum with US energy firm Fermi America to support construction of an 11 gigawatt energy complex near Amarillo, Texas. The facility, called “HyperGrid” and announced in June, will combine conventional nuclear plants, SMRs, gas turbines, renewable energy sources and battery storage systems.
Fermi America, co-founded by former US Energy Secretary Rick Perry, aims to make this campus the largest energy infrastructure dedicated to artificial intelligence in the country.
