South Korea, the US come together on nuclear deals

A series of agreements have been signed between South Korean companies and American partners to advance nuclear energy projects in the United States, World Nuclear News reports. The collaborations aim to meet the surging electricity needs of data centres, support the growth of artificial intelligence, and reinforce the resilience of the nuclear fuel supply chain.

Accelerating small modular reactor deployment

One of the most notable partnerships involves X-energy Reactor Company, Amazon, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation (KHNP), and Doosan Enerbility. The four parties have signed a strategic cooperation agreement designed to speed up the introduction of X-energy’s Xe-100 advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) and its TRISO-X fuel across the country. The plan includes the delivery of more than five gigawatts of new nuclear power by 2039, primarily to serve the increasing energy requirements of data centres and AI-related facilities.

The agreement covers engineering design, construction planning, supply chain management, long-term operations, investment models, and opportunities for combined AI-nuclear deployment in international markets. The partnership aligns with the recent $350bn trade pact between Washington and Seoul, with expectations that as much as $50bn in both private and public capital could be channelled into nuclear energy development in the United States.

Vibhu Kaushik, who leads global energy at Amazon Web Services, said the project is vital as data centres have become the backbone of artificial intelligence development. He stressed that demand for power is accelerating rapidly and welcomed the opportunity to work with KHNP, Doosan, and X-energy in delivering carbon-free solutions at scale.

X-energy is already progressing with its Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor and TRISO-X fuel development. Its collaboration with Korean partners builds on an earlier relationship with DL E&C, a major construction services company with which it began working in 2023. According to X-energy’s Chief Executive Officer, Clay Sell, the new alliance unites Korean industry’s extensive experience with X-energy’s technology, positioning the partners strongly to bring the Xe-100 SMR to market. Doosan has also committed to ensuring manufacturing capacity is in place to produce reactor modules efficiently.

Strengthening nuclear fuel enrichment

Beyond reactor deployment, World Nuclear News also reports that South Korean and American partners are also focusing on nuclear fuel enrichment. Centrus Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with KHNP and POSCO International to examine potential investment in expanding Centrus’s uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio. This step is expected to bolster US-Korea cooperation in civilian nuclear power and expand the volume of low-enriched uranium supplied under a contract Centrus and KHNP agreed earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Amir Vexler, Centrus’s CEO, stated that the deal highlights a growing need for a US-based uranium enrichment capability. He added that additional private investment could increase competition and diversify fuel sources while also ensuring affordable and secure supplies for Korea’s nuclear sector. The company stressed, however, that the expansion of its enrichment plant remains dependent on federal funding, which is vital to achieve economies of scale and to challenge the dominance of state-owned enterprises that currently control most of the world’s uranium enrichment.

Although non-binding, the new MoU aims to draw in further private sector capital for Centrus’s Ohio operations. It also creates scope for extended cooperation in areas such as future low-enriched uranium supply contracts and the potential for high-assay low-enriched uranium agreements.

HyperGrid campus and broader US expansion

President Lee Jae Myung’s trip to Washington, which included a meeting with US President Donald Trump, further strengthened South Korea’s role in nuclear projects in the United States. During the trip, KHNP revealed it had signed an MoU with Samsung C&T and US-based Fermi America to contribute to the development of a planned 11 gigawatt power complex in Texas.

The project, referred to as the “HyperGrid” campus, was announced in June by Fermi America, co-founded by former US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. Billed as the world’s largest AI-driven energy hub, the development is expected to combine large-scale nuclear plants, SMRs, gas-fired generation, grid power, solar facilities, and large-scale battery storage.

The agreement is regarded as a significant milestone for KHNP, establishing its presence in the American nuclear market and enabling it to play a role in one of the most ambitious energy projects in the country, according to World Nuclear News. Together, these agreements illustrate a growing alignment between South Korean and American industries to accelerate nuclear innovation, strengthen supply chains, and deliver the power infrastructure needed to support the next generation of digital technologies.