Hyundai E&C named partner for TerraPower's next-generation nuclear project

Hyundai Engineering & Construction has been selected as a construction partner for TerraPower's next-generation nuclear project, accelerating its push to secure a foothold in the global energy supply chain.

Hyundai E&C announced Tuesday that it signed a framework agreement with TerraPower to carry out construction of the Natrium® reactor — TerraPower's flagship nuclear design — at a signing ceremony attended by Hyundai E&C CEO Lee Han-woo, TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque and other senior executives from both companies.

Under the agreement, the two companies agreed to expand cooperation in the nuclear energy sector and jointly identify new business opportunities, drawing on their respective technologies and expertise. Hyundai E&C also secured rights as the EPC partner for up to eight additional Natrium reactor units that TerraPower plans to build.

The partnership gained further momentum as the two sides held high-level meetings in Seoul, including a visit by Levesque to Hyundai E&C's headquarters, deepening collaboration toward commercializing the Natrium reactor and expanding into global markets.

TerraPower is a leading US nuclear energy company with fourth-generation reactor technology based on a sodium-cooled fast reactor, which uses liquid sodium as a coolant. It became the first company in the United States to receive construction approval for a fourth-generation reactor from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and has broken ground on the 345 MW Kemmerer Unit 1 in Wyoming, establishing itself as a frontrunner in the next-generation nuclear market.

The Natrium reactor offers high safety and generation efficiency while producing less nuclear waste than conventional reactors. It can cool itself naturally even during a power outage, and its integration of a reactor with an energy storage system allows output to be adjusted to match electricity demand — qualities that have earned it recognition as a flexible, carbon-free power source suited to the AI era. TerraPower has already signed contracts with major technology companies including Meta with an eye toward powering AI data centers, and plans to expand into overseas markets.

"This agreement combines TerraPower's innovative nuclear technology with Hyundai E&C's global EPC capabilities, and will serve as an important milestone in meeting surging power demand and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation nuclear energy," a Hyundai E&C official said. "We will continue to expand our energy portfolio and strengthen cooperation with leading companies to drive growth in the global energy market."

Meanwhile, Hyundai E&C has been building its presence in the United States across a range of projects — including large-scale nuclear plants, small modular reactors and nuclear decommissioning — backed by an extensive track record of constructing 24 large nuclear reactors. The TerraPower Natrium partnership adds to that portfolio, giving the company unrivaled execution experience in next-generation nuclear. Hyundai E&C declared its transition into a "comprehensive energy solutions company" earlier this year.