Hyundai Engineering Partners for U.S. Modular Reactors

The firm will manage EPC services for two advanced nuclear pilot projects in a push to scale modular reactor infrastructure.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Nuclear

Isometric editorial illustration of massive cylindrical nuclear reactor containment modules in a clean industrial facility, representing modular infrastructure projects. — Hyundai Engineering has secured new contracts to manage engineering, procurement, and construction services for two modular nuclear reactor projects in the United States. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Hyundai Engineering has signed agreements to provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for two upcoming small modular reactor (SMR) projects in the United States. These collaborations involve high-temperature gas-cooled and sodium-cooled reactor designs currently in the development stage.

Why it matters

The move signals a strategic shift for Hyundai Engineering to transition from specialized facility support to full-scale EPC responsibilities for next-generation nuclear deployments. Securing these partnerships helps standardize infrastructure delivery for emerging reactor technologies.

The projects encompass a 100MWe capacity ARC-100 reactor design and a broader 200MWe-class demonstration plant. Hyundai Engineering will support these designs after having previously delivered facility upgrades at external research sites.

The players

Hyundai Engineering

An international engineering and construction firm that has completed 254 nuclear projects since 1985.

Nano Nuclear Energy

A startup developer focused on advanced micro-reactor designs including the KRONOS MMR.

ARC Clean Technologies

A nuclear technology developer working on the 100MWe-class ARC-100 sodium-cooled fast reactor.

The details

Hyundai Engineering will focus on the design, procurement, and construction of auxiliary facilities, which house essential systems for reactor operation. The ARC-100 unit uses a sodium-cooled fast reactor, a design that utilizes liquid sodium as a coolant rather than water to improve thermal efficiency. The KRONOS MMR project relies on high-temperature gas-cooled architecture, which uses inert gas to transfer heat from the core to power systems.

1985: Hyundai Engineering established its nuclear division.
October 23, 2026: Hyundai Engineering signed an MOU with Nano Nuclear Energy.
October 27, 2026: Hyundai Engineering signed an MOU with ARC Clean Technologies.

The Tech Race

These agreements position Hyundai Engineering as a key infrastructure partner for the next generation of U.S. nuclear deployment. The effort follows the established pattern of private developers utilizing sites like the Idaho National Laboratory to move reactor designs from research to commercial pilot phases.

These projects represent initial infrastructure phases for modular power units rather than active energy generation. Their deployment will eventually impact regional grid capacity by providing localized power sources, though completion dates for these pilot plants remain unannounced.

The takeaway

These partnerships demonstrate the growing demand for experienced EPC firms to bridge the gap between nuclear reactor design and physical deployment. Stakeholders should track future site-specific permits and construction milestones as these demonstration plants move through the regulatory process.