HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to Invest KRW 238.6 Billion in Dedicated Plant for Manufacturing Major SMR Equipment

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced on September 10 that it will invest KRW 238.6 billion to build a dedicated plant for manufacturing major equipment for small modular reactors (SMRs). The plant will be built on the site of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan Shipyard, with the goal of commencing operations in 2029.

SMRs are regarded as one of the next-generation nuclear power technologies. Compared with conventional nuclear power units, SMRs have lower output power, and their major equipment can be configured in a modular manner, combining features such as stable power supply and reduced carbon emissions. As AI data centers requiring round-the-clock, large-scale power supply increase rapidly, SMRs are attracting more attention.

According to projections by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), by 2050, the global SMR market is expected to grow to 150 GW. As a key link in SMR construction, manufacturing and supply capacity for major equipment is also considered to have room for growth.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is advancing cooperation related to the global SMR market with TerraPower. On August 14, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Chairman Chung Ki-sun met with TerraPower founder and chairman Bill Gates in Seoul, and the two sides discussed cooperation plans for the commercialization of the next-generation SMR "Natrium" reactor.

A representative of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said that this investment aims to secure core competitiveness in the SMR field, actively respond to rapidly growing power demand, and lay the foundation for entering the global AI infrastructure-related market.