Doosan Enerbility to Build New SMR Plant Under 16-Unit Deal With X-energy

X-energy Reactor Company and Doosan Enerbility have signed a binding reservation agreement covering the manufacture of Main Power System steel components for 16 Xe-100 small modular reactors (SMRs), the two companies announced on December 18. The deal secures production capacity for one of the most demanding long-lead parts of the U.S. developer's advanced reactor design.

Under the agreement, Doosan will produce 16 sets of reactor pressure vessels, steam generator pressure vessels and additional steel components. These large structures form the exterior and structural interior of the Xe-100 and rank among its largest and most safety-critical elements. X-energy said it committed a significant financial investment to reserve capacity within set timeframes for its first two commercial projects.

To meet expected demand, Doosan has pledged to build a new SMR fabrication facility in Changwon, South Korea. At full production the plant is expected to have capacity for roughly 20 Xe-100 reactors a year, with room to scale. The buildout is intended to support X-energy's 11 GW commercial pipeline, which the company equates to about 144 advanced reactors.

By locking in a specialized supplier early, X-energy said it hopes to gain greater cost and schedule certainty and reduce supply chain risk for its initial deployments. J. Clay Sell, chief executive of X-energy, described Doosan as among the premier nuclear suppliers in the world, praising its capabilities and expertise in bringing the Xe-100 to market.

Jongdoo Kim, head of Doosan Enerbility's Nuclear Business Group, called the agreement a meaningful milestone that signals SMR manufacturing is entering a more advanced stage of preparation, adding that Doosan would support the program with rigorous quality standards and reliable delivery.

The partnership dates back to 2021, when the companies began engineering work to improve the manufacturability of Xe-100 components. It was later formalized through an August 2025 memorandum of understanding among X-energy, Doosan, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Amazon, signed during President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to the United States. Doosan, which says it has delivered 34 reactor vessels and 124 steam generators worldwide, is positioned as a central partner in X-energy's global deployment strategy and the emerging U.S.-Korea advanced nuclear supply chain.