Doosan Enerbility wins U.S. SMR reactor component order

South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility has secured a contract from U.S. nuclear technology company NuScale Power to manufacture a key component for its small modular reactors (SMRs), marking a significant step beyond materials supply into commercial reactor equipment production.

Doosan Enerbility said Thursday that the agreement covers the first upper reactor pressure vessel (URPV) module for NuScale’s SMR. The component forms the upper section of the reactor pressure vessel, which contains coolant under high temperature and pressure.

The deal builds on a 2023 agreement under which Doosan Enerbility began producing reactor materials for NuScale. The latest contract expands the partnership into the manufacturing of finished reactor components.

NuScale’s SMR design was the first in the United States to receive approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), positioning the company among the early developers seeking to commercialize the technology.

SMRs are designed to be manufactured largely in factories, with major components assembled into modules before installation at construction sites. The approach is intended to shorten construction schedules and reduce costs compared with conventional large nuclear power plants.

Doosan Enerbility has been expanding its presence in the U.S. advanced nuclear market through partnerships with several reactor developers.

In August, the company signed an agreement with TerraPower to manufacture critical reactor equipment. It also reached an agreement with X-energy last December to reserve production capacity for key materials needed for 16 SMRs.

The agreements reflect Doosan Enerbility’s strategy to establish itself as a major equipment supplier as U.S. developers move toward commercial deployment of next-generation nuclear reactors.