HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Chung Kisun met TerraPower Chairman Bill Gates and company leaders in Seoul to review progress on supply chain expansion and Natrium reactor commercialization. The meeting followed initial talks in the US in March, when both companies signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the global manufacturing supply chain for Natrium reactors.

HD Hyundai signed a contract to supply reactor vessels for TerraPower’s first Natrium reactor, a Generation IV small modular reactor (SMR) sodium-cooled fast reactor design with integrated energy storage. TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque highlighted HD Hyundai’s manufacturing expertise as key to accelerating commercialization and global market growth.

Meanwhile, HD Hyundai and TerraPower are exploring molten salt reactor (MSR) technologies for nuclear-powered vessels. HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering, a sub-holding company, has invested US$30 million in TerraPower and unveiled an SMR-powered containership design, aiming to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry.