2 hours ago
TOKYO – March 16, 2026 – X-energy Reactor Company, LLC ("X-energy" or the "Company"), a leading developer of advanced nuclear reactors and fuel technology, and IHI Corporation (“IHI”), a leading Japanese engineering corporation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in conjunction with the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum to expand U.S.- Japan supply chain development for X-energy’s Xe-100 advanced small modular reactor (“SMR”). The agreement establishes a collaboration framework to explore opportunities for commercial-scale manufacturing of nuclear-grade components, helping to support both U.S.-Japan industrial trade priorities and the execution of X-energy’s 11-gigawatt (“GW”) commercial pipeline.
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's supply chain strategy emphasizes 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.
“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.”
Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate to assess manufacturing opportunities for critical components used in X-energy's high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (“HTGR”). IHI brings extensive experience manufacturing a range of safety-critical components for HTGRs, as well as established relationships with Japanese materials suppliers and component manufacturers to support broader U.S.-Japan SMR supply chain development.
The agreement establishes a relationship with one of the world’s leading nuclear-grade suppliers, with IHI possessing highly specialized nuclear manufacturing capabilities largely unavailable at commercial scale in the United States today. Sustained collaboration directly integrates Japanese manufacturing expertise into U.S. nuclear supply chain development, advancing shared U.S.-Japan priorities on energy infrastructure investment and strategic manufacturing cooperation while supporting both countries' objectives of strengthening allied cooperation in strategic sectors.
X-energy is currently developing more than 11 GW of new nuclear capacity across commercial partnerships in the United States and United Kingdom. In Texas, X-energy and Dow are advancing a proposed four-unit plant under the U.S. 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 United Kingdom's first advanced reactor fleet. X-energy’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, SGL Carbon for medium-grain graphite, and Doosan Enerbility for main power system components. Together, this growing portfolio of U.S. and allied suppliers reinforces the development of a resilient industrial ecosystem capable of delivering advanced nuclear energy at full commercial scale.
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About X-energy
X-energy Reactor Company, LLC, is a leading developer of advanced small modular nuclear reactors and fuel technology for clean energy generation that is redefining the nuclear energy industry through its development of safer and more efficient advanced small modular nuclear reactors and proprietary fuel to deliver clean, safe, reliable energy that meet the demands of the modern economy. X-energy’s simplified, modular, and intrinsically safe SMR design expands applications and markets for deployment of nuclear technology and drives enhanced safety, lower cost and faster construction timelines when compared with other SMRs and conventional nuclear. For more information, visit X-energy.com or connect with us on X or LinkedIn.
About IHI Corporation
IHI has a world-class technology and capabilities in the manufacturing and supply of critical nuclear components, as well as leading design and manufacturing expertise in the backend field highlighted by reprocessing and decommissioning activities in Japan. Furthermore, IHI is driving global expansion for next-generation innovative reactors, aiming to enhance nuclear safety and industry development internationally.
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Robert McEntyre
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