X-energy, IHI to explore collaboration

Under the MoU, the two companies will establish a cooperative framework to examine opportunities centred primarily on X-energy's Xe-100 advanced reactor design. The collaboration will focus on the design, engineering, manufacturability, and supply chain development of Main Power System (MPS) pressure boundary components to support anticipated large-scale reactor deployment programmes in the global markets. The MoU provides a framework for discussions and information exchange related to the potential production of MPS sets, including: reactor pressure vessels, reactor internals, steam generator pressure vessels, steam generator internals, and cross vessels.

X-energy said IHI brings "extensive experience manufacturing a range of safety-critical components for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs), as well as established relationships with Japanese materials suppliers and component manufacturers to support broader US-Japan SMR supply chain development". It added that IHI possesses highly specialised nuclear manufacturing capabilities "largely unavailable at commercial scale in the United States today".

"The partnership aims to expand X-energy's supplier base for critical, long-lead components of the Xe-100 as the company scales its supply chain to meet the needs of its 144-unit commercial orderbook," X-energy said. "X-energy's supply chain strategy emphasises partnerships with multiple qualified manufacturers to ensure production capacity and supply certainty, with the agreement with IHI expected to complement X-energy's existing commercial supplier agreements."

The Xe-100 is a Generation IV advanced reactor design which X-energy says is based on decades of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor operation, research, and development. Designed to operate as a standard 320 MWe four-pack power plant or scaled in units of 80 MWe. At 200 MWt of 565°C steam, the Xe-100 is also suitable for other power applications, including mining and heavy industry. The Xe-100 uses tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, which has additional safety benefits because it can withstand very high temperatures without melting,

X-energy said it is currently developing more than 11 GW of new nuclear capacity across commercial partnerships in the USA and the UK. In Texas, X-energy and Dow are advancing a proposed four-unit plant under the US Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. This is expected to be followed by Energy Northwest's Cascade Advanced Energy Facility - the first of several projects to deploy at least 5 GW with Amazon by 2039 - and a 6 GW commitment from Centrica for the UK's first advanced reactor fleet.

The company's preliminary agreement with IHI aims to support deployment at this scale, and follows a series of binding supply chain commitments for long-lead components, including Japan's Toyo Tanso for fine-grain graphite, Germany's SGL Carbon for medium-grain graphite, and South Korea's Doosan Enerbility for main power system components.

"Deploying new nuclear at scale requires capacity and expertise that extends beyond any single supplier, and a global coalition of allied partners committed to driving the work forward," said Dinkar Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer at X-energy. "We look forward to exploring opportunities with IHI, and the prospect of combining Japanese manufacturing excellence with American innovation to advance our shared priorities."