US and South Korean companies team up to scale SMR deployment

X-energy, Amazon, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation and Doosan Enerbility have teamed up to advance the deployment of Xe-100 SMRs and TRISO-X fuel in the US.

The US and South Korea-based partners will collaborate on boosting development and deployment of X-energy’s advanced fourth generation reactor to meet growing power demands from data centres and AI.

The companies also aim to mobilise up to $50 billion in public and private investment to support the future of nuclear energy in the US.

“This partnership brings together proven nuclear leadership and experience from Korean industry and X-energy’s advanced reactor and fuel technology to meet a historic energy challenge,” said X-energy CEO J. Clay Sell.

“By combining our expertise, we are ensuring that we are best positioned to accelerate the Xe-100 SMR into the marketplace with the unique knowledge and skills developed throughout the South Korea industrial supply chain. Collaboration between the United States and South Korea in this critical sector is vital to preserving American leadership in the AI race and surpassing China as the leader in nuclear development,” concluded Sell.

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X-energy is advancing its initial Xe-100 deployment with Dow Inc. at its UCC Seadrift Operations manufacturing site. In May 2025, the proposed four-reactor project's Construction Permit Application was accepted for an 18-month review by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

X-energy is also advancing its second Xe-100 deployment with Energy Northwest in Washington state in collaboration with Amazon. The Energy Northwest site is expected to initially host four Xe-100 reactors with plans to expand to 12.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation president and CEO Dr Joo-ho Whang added: “As more countries seek to introduce SMRs in response to the climate crisis and to strengthen energy security, global competition for SMR development is becoming increasingly fierce.

"By strengthening cooperation with the United States, I expect that the technological and business capabilities of both countries will generate strong synergies in the global SMR market. This partnership positions us to meet the needs of a 21st century economy with the safest, most secure, and most proliferation-resistant fuel and reactor technology today.”

As part of the agreement, Doosan has agreed to secure the manufacturing capabilities required for the deployment of Xe-100 modules.

Chairman Park Ji-won of Doosan Enerbility commented: “Doosan will faithfully fulfill its role, leveraging its proven manufacturing expertise, to ensure that this MOU becomes a model example of bilateral cooperation in the energy industry."