Contract for SMR Manufacturing Design Services with US X-Energy and High-Temperature Gas
Kim Jong-du, Executive Director of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (right), and Martin van Staden, Vice President of X-Energy, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a contract at X-Energy headquarters in Maryland, USA. [Photo by Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Doosan Heavy Industries announced on the 1st that it has signed a design service contract for the main equipment manufacturing with the U.S. company 'X-Energy,' which is developing a high-temperature gas-cooled Small Modular Reactor (SMR).
SMRs are small nuclear reactors with an electric output of 300 MWe or less, developed to supply small-scale power in areas where the transmission network cannot accommodate high-voltage power sufficiently or as distributed power sources. The core equipment of large nuclear power plants, such as the reactor, steam generator, coolant pump, and pressurizer, are integrated into a single vessel.
Unlike conventional light-water reactors that use water as a coolant, high-temperature gas-cooled reactors use helium gas as the coolant. Doosan Heavy Industries supports the SMR design by conducting research on the manufacturing methods of X-Energy's SMR main equipment, prototype production, and design optimization.
The high-temperature gas-cooled SMR developed by X-Energy has a total generation capacity of approximately 320 MW. It consists of four 80 MW reactor modules and uses tennis ball-shaped nuclear fuel. The high heat of about 600 degrees Celsius produced during operation can be used as a heat source for various industries, and Doosan Heavy Industries explained that the high temperature can be utilized to produce hydrogen more economically.
Na Gi-yong, Vice President of Doosan Heavy Industries' Nuclear BG, said, "SMRs are rapidly emerging in the global power market because they can contribute to carbon neutrality," adding, "We plan to participate not only in the design of X-Energy's high-temperature gas-cooled SMR but also in the future manufacturing of the main equipment."
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is actively supporting the development and demonstration of high-temperature gas-cooled SMRs as a response to the climate crisis. Last October, it selected X-Energy for the 'Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP)' and announced an initial support fund of $80 million. Additionally, a total of $1.23 billion will be invested in X-Energy over the next seven years for the demonstration of high-temperature gas-cooled SMRs.
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