Fluor Joins Richland's Cascade Nuclear Project
The engineering contract moves X-energy's small modular reactor plan toward construction, with power timelines still unannounced.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Nuclear
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Fluor Corporation was selected by X-energy to provide engineering, design development, supply chain, cost estimating, and project controls services for the nuclear island of the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, a small modular reactor project planned near Richland, Washington. The contract value was not disclosed, and the project is at the planning stage rather than operating.
Why it matters
The selection signals that X-energy's Cascade facility is moving from concept toward execution, with an established engineering contractor now handling design and cost work. It is part of X-energy's stated initiative to deploy 5 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity by 2039.
The planned Cascade facility includes four Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactors with a combined capacity of approximately 320 megawatts. The expansion figure of 12 units and 960 megawatts is a projection, and the stub does not provide measured performance data for the reactor design.
The players
Fluor Corporation
A global engineering, procurement, construction, and project management company founded in 1912, with nearly 23,000 employees worldwide.
X-energy
A nuclear reactor developer whose Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor is the design planned for the Cascade facility.
The details
Fluor's role covers the engineering and cost planning for the nuclear island, meaning the reactor and its core systems rather than the surrounding plant. It will draw on ongoing work with X-energy on the company's first Xe-100 project to refine execution plans and inform investment decisions. The Xe-100 is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, a design that uses helium gas as coolant to reach higher operating temperatures.
Timeline
Fluor was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
Fluor will recognize the contract value in the third quarter of 2026.
X-energy's initiative targets deployment of 5 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity by 2039.
The Tech Race
Fluor was previously selected for similar services on X-energy's proposed Dow UCC Seadrift project in Texas, so the Cascade contract extends an existing engineering relationship. The stub does not place the project against competing reactor programs.
The contract affects project planning rather than anything residents can use directly, and no operating date is given in the source. Timelines for construction and power delivery are not stated.
The takeaway
Watch for Fluor's third-quarter 2026 recognition of the contract value, which may reveal the scale of the engagement. The 2039 target for 5 gigawatts of new capacity will show whether the Cascade facility is part of a broader rollout.
Further reading
For background on the reactor designs and policy behind projects like this, see the Nuclear section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Trend.
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