Bill Gates backs nuclear-powered ships in new push with HD Hyundai

Source: interestingengineering
Author: @IntEngineering
Published: 8/22/2025
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Read original articleHD Hyundai, South Korea’s leading shipbuilder, is strengthening its partnership with Bill Gates’ nuclear energy startup TerraPower to advance small modular reactor (SMR) technology, particularly for marine applications. Executive Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun met with Gates in Seoul to discuss collaboration on TerraPower’s Natrium reactor, a fourth-generation sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) design known for high thermal efficiency, enhanced safety, and up to 40% reduced nuclear waste compared to conventional reactors. This meeting followed a March agreement to build a manufacturing and supply network for Natrium reactors, including a planned 345-megawatt reactor in Wyoming for which HD Hyundai will supply the reactor vessel. HD Hyundai had previously invested $30 million in TerraPower, underscoring its commitment to this technology.
HD Hyundai views SMRs as a crucial component of the future global energy mix and aims to develop marine nuclear propulsion systems, including SMRs and hydrogen fuel cells, with a planned investment of about $215 million
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energynuclear-energysmall-modular-reactorsSMRTerraPowerHD-Hyundaishipbuilding