Wedoany.com Report-Mar 12, HD Hyundai and TerraPower have joined hands to bolster the global manufacturing supply chain for the latter’s Natrium reactors and accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear power technology, the two companies announced Wednesday.
Clockwise from top left: TerraPower founder Bill Gates, HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun, head of Marine Energy Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Won Kwang-shik and TerraPower president and CEO Chris Levesque shake hands as they sign a partnership to strengthen supply chain for Natrium plants.
According to the announcement, the collaboration will combine HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ manufacturing expertise with TerraPower’s reactor technology and increase supply chain capacity to enable large-scale production and global deployment of Natrium plants. Under the agreement, the Korean shipbuilding conglomerate will develop a manufacturing process to supply key components of the Natrium reactor.
HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun and TerraPower founder Bill Gates attended the strategic partnership signing ceremony and discussed the development and commercialization of Natrium reactors.
The latest development builds upon the relationship formed in December 2024 when HD Hyundai Heavy Industries won the bid to develop the reactor vessel for TerraPower’s first Natrium plant in Wyoming.
"HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is committed to leveraging its proven manufacturing expertise and supply chain capabilities for the manufacture of Natrium components, setting the foundation for efficient and scalable commercial deployment," said Won Kwang-shik, head of the Marine Energy Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
“With our extensive experience in high-precision manufacturing and large-scale industrial production, we are uniquely positioned to apply our proven expertise to support TerraPower's vision for commercial deployment. This agreement marks a transformative collaboration that will accelerate the commercial viability of next-generation nuclear energy solutions and help shape the future global energy landscape."
TerraPower’s Natrium plant is a fourth-generation sodium-cooled fast reactor, which produces electricity by cooling the heat generated from fast neutron fission with liquid sodium. Among small modular reactors, the Natrium plant safely generates 40 percent less nuclear waste than conventional reactors.
Chris Levesque, TerraPower president and CEO, said, “HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' manufacturing capabilities are world-renowned, and I look forward to working with them to establish the commercial-scale production capacity that will be essential for successful deployment of multiple Natrium units globally.”
