en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 14, South Korea's HD Hyundai, U.S.-based TerraPower, and Hyundai Engineering & Construction held a new round of discussions in South Korea regarding the commercialization of the Natrium reactor. HD Hyundai proposed establishing a production system capable of manufacturing 2 to 3 reactor vessels per year and plans to advance investments in related production facilities ahead of commercial deployment.

Participants in the meeting included HD Hyundai Chairman Kisun Chung, TerraPower Founder and Chairman Bill Gates, TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque, and Hyundai Engineering & Construction CEO Lee Han-woo. The three parties focused on discussing manufacturing, supply chain, and engineering implementation arrangements for land-based reactors, building on the cooperation framework established in May of this year.

Under the division of responsibilities among the three parties, TerraPower is responsible for providing sodium-cooled fast reactor technology, HD Hyundai will undertake the manufacturing of primary reactor equipment, and Hyundai Engineering & Construction will handle the design, procurement, and construction of related projects. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai, has been designated as the preferred manufacturer for Natrium reactor containment system components, with the scope of cooperation covering design, manufacturing, supply chain development, and delivery preparation for multiple units.

The cooperation between HD Hyundai and TerraPower began with an equity investment in 2022. In December 2024, HD Hyundai received the manufacturing order for the first Natrium cylindrical reactor vessel; in March 2025, the two parties signed a manufacturing supply chain expansion agreement, followed by a one-year period to assess manufacturing feasibility, cost competitiveness, and delivery timelines. In May of this year, the two parties further signed a supply framework agreement, extending the scope of cooperation from manufacturing the first unit to the serialized supply of subsequent units.

Natrium utilizes fourth-generation sodium-cooled fast reactor technology, with a baseline power output of 345 megawatts per unit, and is equipped with a molten salt energy storage system that can boost output to 500 megawatts during peak electricity demand periods. The reactor vessel, which houses the core and sodium coolant, is one of the primary components of the nuclear island system.

TerraPower's first Natrium demonstration project is located in Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the reactor construction permit in March 2026, and the project is expected to be completed by 2030. Before the project enters operation, TerraPower will also need to submit a separate operating license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.