HD Hyundai, TerraPower, and Hyundai E&C Advance U.S. SMR Market Push with Natrium Reactor Collaboration
Event summary
- HD Hyundai, TerraPower, and Hyundai E&C held their first executive-level meeting on August 14, 2026, to accelerate the commercialization of Natrium reactors.
- HD Hyundai aims to produce 2-3 primary Natrium reactor components annually, deepening Korea-U.S. cooperation in next-generation nuclear energy.
- The U.S. nuclear power market, with 95 GW of installed capacity, is aging and faces growing demand due to expanding data centers.
- TerraPower will provide Natrium technology, HD Hyundai will manufacture major equipment, and Hyundai E&C will offer EPC support.
The big picture
HD Hyundai's collaboration with TerraPower and Hyundai E&C targets the U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) market, leveraging TerraPower’s Natrium technology to address aging nuclear infrastructure and rising electricity demand. The partnership spans technology, manufacturing, and engineering, positioning HD Hyundai as a key supplier in this next-generation energy sector.
What we're watching
- Production Scaling
- Whether HD Hyundai can sustain the pace of manufacturing 2-3 reactor vessels annually as demand grows.
- Market Demand
- How the aging U.S. nuclear infrastructure and data center expansion will drive long-term SMR adoption.
- Regulatory Approval
- The pace at which regulatory hurdles for Natrium reactors are cleared, impacting commercialization timelines.