Understanding New Nuclear: What is a Generation IV Nuclear Reactor?

Bridging the Nuclear Language Barrier

Nuclear energy has a language problem. In part because of the complexity of the technology, innovation in the sector often gets buried under impenetrable jargon accessible to scientists, technicians, and industry insiders, and inaccessible to literally everyone else. Many of these phrases are largely outdated: academic shorthand that persists because it once described research concepts, not because it offers clarity about the commercial technologies approaching the market today. In today’s nuclear lexicon, few terms illustrate this disconnect more clearly than “Generation IV” reactors.

At X-energy, we believe innovative technology should be explained in clear, accessible terms that connect directly to real-world outcomes. Clean, safe, reliable energy shouldn't require a specialized vocabulary to understand. But because this particular term is used so frequently, we’ll translate what “Gen IV” originally meant — once — then move past the paper reactor to focus on the practical technologies, performance characteristics, and industrial applications that actually define new nuclear today.

What Is a “Generation IV” Nuclear Reactor?

Generation IV nuclear reactors are a category of advanced reactor concepts established in the early 2000s by the Generation IV International Forum (GIF). The framework was created to explore advanced nuclear concepts that could improve efficiency, safety, sustainability, and nonproliferation relative to conventional light-water reactors.

The Generation IV framework was never intended to describe build-ready reactors or commercial products. Instead, it grouped conceptual designs around aspirational performance goals that could guide long-term research and development:

• Higher thermal efficiency: Operating at significantly higher temperatures than conventional light-water reactors to convert a greater fraction of nuclear heat into usable energy.

• Intrinsic safety: Relying on fundamental physics and material properties to ensure safe, stable operation without depending on mechanical systems, operator intervention, or backup power.

• Fuel utilization: Extracting more energy from each unit of uranium through advanced fuel designs and higher burnup to improve resource efficiency and long-term fuel sustainability.

• Reduced waste: Producing less spent fuel and making that fuel easier to manage over time by using nuclear material more efficiently.

These goals describe what researchers hoped advanced reactors could achieve, not whether those systems could be engineered, licensed, constructed, or operated at scale. Consequently, technologies grouped under the Gen IV label have progressed at very different rates.

The Original Generation IV Reactor Concepts

The Gen IV framework identified multiple reactor pathways that could, in theory, outperform earlier generations of nuclear technology by rethinking core design choices such as coolant type, neutron spectrum, fuel form, and operating temperature. Rather than refining existing light-water reactor designs, the Generation IV effort explored fundamentally different approaches, identifying six reactor concepts as promising candidates for long-term research and development:

• Gas-Cooled Fast Reactors (GFR) use helium coolant with fast neutron spectrum.

• Lead-Cooled Fast Reactors (LFR) operate with liquid lead or lead-bismuth coolant.

• Molten Salt Reactors (MSR) utilize liquid salt either as coolant or fuel.

• Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors (SFR) employ liquid sodium as primary coolant.

• Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactors (SCWR) use water above critical point.

• Very-High-Temperature Reactors (VHTR) use helium coolant, and were designed for temperatures above 900°C.

The VHTR concept is today known as a High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR), building on earlier U.S. experience with the Peach Bottom prototype HTGR, which operated from 1967-1974, and the Fort St. Vrain Nuclear Generating Station, which operated as a commercial-scale HTGR from 1979 to 1989. While other Generation IV concepts remain largely experimental or pre-commercial, HTGRs advanced through fuel qualification, licensing, materials validation, and full-plant operation decades ago.

Inside the Xe-100: A Commercial Gen IV Reactor

The Xe-100 translates high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) principles into a deployable commercial system, applying decades of reactor physics, materials validation, and fuel qualification in a modern, modular design.

Key Design Features of the Xe-100:

• Reactor type: The Xe-100 is a High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR), using helium coolant, graphite moderation, and TRISO fuel to anchor safety in material behavior and physics.

• Power and heat output: Each Xe-100 module produces approximately 80 megawatts of electricity (MWe) and delivers steam at temperatures up to ~565 °C, enabling a single system to meet both power and process-heat needs.

• Industrial applicability: The high-temperature output makes the Xe-100 well suited for energy-intensive industries—such as chemicals, refining, cement, and steel—where emissions are difficult to abate through electrification alone. 

• Modular deployment: Xe-100 plants are designed for modular construction using standardized components, allowing factory fabrication, highway transport for all components, and on-site assembly to support simpler, repeatable builds.

• Load following: The reactor is designed to adjust power quickly to meet real-time energy demand, using a highly automated control system that reduces operator burden while maintaining precise, reliable operation.

• TRISO-X: The Xe-100 uses X-energy’s proprietary TRISO-X fuel, produced through X-energy’s domestic fuel program, supporting a secure and scalable advanced nuclear supply chain.

TRISO-X Fuel and the Advanced Nuclear Supply Chain

For high-temperature gas-cooled reactors like the Xe-100, fuel performance is critical to safety, economics, and scalability. X-energy’s answer is TRISO-X, a proprietary implementation of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel refined for commercial-scale deployment.

• Fuel innovation, refined for scale: X-energy has operated a pilot facility at the Oak Ridge National Lab since 2016, building on decades of TRISO manufacturing experience to develop TRISO-X—a version optimized for higher manufacturing yields, tighter quality control, and repeatable production at commercial scale.

• Secure domestic fuel supply: There is currently no commercial-scale TRISO fuel fabrication capability operating in the United States. To close this critical gap in the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle, X-energy produces its own TRISO-X fuel to help ensure consistent quality, predictable cost, and reliable supply. 

• TX-1 Fuel Fabrication Facility: X-energy is building TX-1, the United States’ first commercial-scale TRISO fuel fabrication facility, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. TX-1 is designed to transition TRISO fuel from pilot production to industrial manufacturing, supporting Xe-100 projects and future advanced reactors with a secure, domestic fuel supply.

Paper to Projects: Gen IV in Today’s Commercial Market

From their academic origins more than a quarter-century ago, some Gen IV reactor concepts are now progressing beyond research and demonstration toward real-world application. For X-energy, that transition is taking shape through a set of projects that apply HTGR technology to industrial energy, AI applications, and grid-scale power across both the United States and United Kingdom.

1. Dow (Industrial Heat and Steam): X-energy’s initial deployment is a 4-unit plant planned for Dow’s UCC Seadrift Operations Site on the Texas Gulf Coast. The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) and would make Seadrift the first industrial facility in North America powered by nuclear energy.

2. Amazon and Energy Northwest (AI Infrastructure, Grid Power): The 12-unit Cascade Advanced Energy Facility in Washington is intended to support both AI and data-center energy demand and firm, carbon-free electricity for the regional grid. It is the first of several Amazon and X-energy projects targeting at least 5 gigawatts of new nuclear by 2039.

3. Centrica (Electric & Industrial Energy): In the United Kingdom, X-energy has signed a 6-gigawatt Joint Development Agreement with Centrica to deploy the country’s first advanced reactor fleet. With a preferred first site in Hartlepool, the effort is focused on evaluating how HTGR technology can contribute to electricity generation and industrial energy needs as the UK modernizes its energy infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How are Gen IV reactors safer than older designs?
   Advanced reactors like the Xe-100 rely on intrinsic safety features. These include meltdown-resistant TRISO-X fuel, passive cooling systems that that can remove decay heat without the need for active cooling (i.e. pumps which require electricity), and physics which shut down the reactor down naturally without requiring active system or operator action to ensure safety.

2. Do these advanced reactors still produce nuclear waste?
   All nuclear technologies generate some form of spent fuel. However, modern reactors like the Xe-100 are more fuel-efficient, producing less waste per unit of electricity generated. TRISO-X fuel also locks in fission products at the particle level, simplifying handling and long-term storage.

3. Why is high-temperature heat so important?
   Heavy industries—chemical manufacturing, steel, refining—require superheated steam for their processes. Advanced reactors like the Xe-100 can provide up to 565°C steam, directly displacing fossil-fueled boilers and reducing carbon emissions. High-temperature heat is also important electricity generation, with the Xe-100’s higher steam temperature also increasing the efficiency with which electricity is produced.

4. Are Gen IV reactors more expensive than traditional large reactors?
   They aim to be less expensive. Smaller modular designs factory fabrication, and highly repeatable builds help to reduce capital costs and construction timelines compared to large, conventional plants. Tax incentives, such as those in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, further improve the economic outlook.

5. Can advanced nuclear reactors be sited on old coal plant sites?
   Yes. Small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced reactors often fit on retired coal sites, leveraging existing water rights, grid connections, and local workforces—saving anywhere from 15–35% in construction costs, according to U.S. Department of Energy estimates.

Advanced Nuclear and AI: Powering the Future

The unprecedented growth of artificial intelligence represents both a technological revolution and an energy challenge of historic proportions. AI has transformed everyday life in just a few short years. But as the computing needs of AI increase exponentially, so too does the energy required to power the data centers that are the backbone of this new technology. Traditional power solutions are struggling to keep pace with AI's need for reliable, continuous energy. In this new era of power demand, hyperscalers like Amazon are turning to nuclear to meet the moment.

X-energy's Xe-100 advanced nuclear reactors offer a solution uniquely suited to power AI infrastructure: clean, reliable power that operates 24/7 with minimal land use and maximum output stability. Our partnership with Amazon aims to add 5 GW of new nuclear by 2039, offering a roadmap for how next-generation nuclear technology can enable next-generation computing at scale.

AI Power Usage: A New Challenge for our Electric Grid

The era of flat power demand is over. For those that follow energy closely, the AI revolution is a generational shift in how we bring new power generation to the grid. According to Grid Strategies, U.S. electricity demand is projected to surge by 15.8% (128 GW) by 2029, a five-fold increase in load growth forecasts from just two years prior. This unprecedented growth is largely driven by data centers supporting AI workloads, with demand concentrated in specific regions like Northern Virginia, Texas, and Georgia. We're witnessing annual load growth rates of 3%, levels not seen since in decades. While manufacturing and electrification contribute to this trend, data centers represent the single largest component of new demand, creating concentrated pockets of intensive energy requirements that challenge traditional grid planning and financing models.

How Much Power Does AI Use?

The power demands of artificial intelligence have grown exponentially as models increase in complexity, and more and more consumers use AI in their daily life. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), data centers already consume approximately 1-1.5% of global electricity, with AI applications driving a significant portion of this demand. The IEA estimates that a single AI query requires about 2.9 watt-hours of electricity, roughly ten times the energy used by a standard web search (0.3 Wh).

At scale, these requirements create substantial demand. Goldman Sachs research indicates that global data center electricity consumption could grow by over 165% by 2030. In the United States alone, Wood Mackenzie projects demand growth ranging from 13 to 55 GW over the next 5 years. In the long-term, the critical question isn't how much power AI uses today, but how much it will require tomorrow, and how fast we can deploy new generation to meet that demand.

Advanced Nuclear: An Ideal Match for AI Power Usage

Powering AI requires energy sources that are reliable, scalable, and sustainable. Advanced nuclear power offers a unique solution to this challenge. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, nuclear power plants maintain the highest capacity factors of any energy source, operating at full power more than 93% of the time, making them ideally suited for data centers that cannot afford downtime.

Beyond reliability, nuclear energy's remarkable energy density provides significant advantages for powering AI infrastructure. A single X-energy Xe-100 reactor can generate 80 megawatts of electricity from a minimal land footprint and flexible siting compared to traditional large reactors, allowing for deployment near data center facilities without the sprawling land requirements of wind or solar installations. This proximity reduces transmission losses and enhances grid stability, critical factors for hyperscalers like Amazon operating massive data center facilities that require consistent, high-quality power.

The Xe-100: The Solution to AI Power Consumption

X-energy's Xe-100 represents a new era in nuclear reactor design well-aligned with the demands of modern AI infrastructure. This 80MWe high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) delivers unparalleled reliability while maintaining the highest safety standards in the industry. Unlike conventional nuclear plants, the Xe-100 leverages a modular architecture that allows for phased deployment in multi-packs, enabling precise load-following to meet data center power requirements as they scale.

The Xe-100's unique design uses helium gas coolant and TRISO fuel, described by the Department of Energy as "the most robust nuclear fuel in the world." X-energy’s technology is built on decades of operational research and expertise on these technologies, improving upon them to create an intrinsically safe design where safety is ensured through fundamental physics rather than complex mechanical systems. For AI data center operators, this translates to exceptional reliability with safety built-in from the ground up.

Amazon and X-energy: A New Model for Power Deployment

The energy challenges created by AI's growth demands innovative solutions beyond traditional power purchase agreements and paths to market. Amazon chose to meet this challenge head-on through direct equity investment in X-energy, putting substantial capital to work immediately to advance our advanced nuclear technology development. This strategic partnership represents a fundamental shift in how energy-intensive companies approach power procurement, moving from simple customer relationships to becoming active stakeholders in emerging energy technology.

Amazon's investment helps accelerate the development of our manufacturing capacity to support over five gigawatts of new nuclear energy projects, beginning with the Energy Northwest collaboration to deploy twelve Xe-100 units at Columbia Generating Station. This ambitious commitment demonstrates Amazon's understanding that powering AI's future requires not just buying clean energy, but actively building the infrastructure that will enable continued technological progress while meeting climate goals, and ensure our economic growth is never constrained by energy. 

Powering Heavy Industry & Manufacturing with Advanced Nuclear Energy

Manufacturing is the backbone of the American economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and ensuring our national security. To make the products we use every day, industries such as chemicals, oil refining, steel, cement, and mining require immense amounts of continuous, high-temperature heat and steam to power operations and industrial equipment. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) like X-energy’s Xe-100, are able to provide this heat and steam in abundance, offering a reliable, clean energy solution that ensures industrial operations can run 24/7 without disruption.

Why Manufacturing Can Adopt New Energy Technologies

Production lines require constant, high-temperature heat and steam, and nuclear is the sole clean generation source capable of providing it at scale. X-energy’s Xe-100 High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) is designed to deliver 565°C steam for industrial applications, making it an ideal power source for heavy industry. The Xe-100 operates continuously, ensuring that manufacturers remain competitive, productive, and energy independent.

HTGRs and the Promise of X-energy’s Xe-100 for Manufacturing

Unlike conventional water-cooled nuclear reactors, HTGRs are designed to deliver high outlet temperatures, often above 500°C (in the case of X-energy’s Xe-100, up to 565°C steam). The Xe-100 reactor can produce up to 80 megawatts of electric power (MWe) and/or up to 200 megawatts of high-temperature thermal output (MWt), depending on the customer’s needs. This high-temperature output produces the steam required for industrial processes, offering a clean and reliable alternative to conventional generating sources.

Key features of the Xe-100 include:

• Safety-First Design: It uses TRISO-X fuel, a proprietary version of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) coated particles designed to withstand extreme temperatures.

• Multi-unit Reliability: The Xe-100can rapidly ramp its power levels up or down, helping industries adapt to fluctuating demands or integrate with intermittent renewables.

• Modular Scalability: Each reactor module can be built in a controlled factory setting and shipped to the deployment site, reducing construction time and assembly common to large-scale conventional reactors.

High-Temperature Heat for Industrial Processes

One of the most compelling advantages of HTGRs for heavy industry is their capacity to supply high-temperature steam and heat.. This continuous, carbon-free supply of thermal energy can be integrated into processes like:

• Petroleum Refining & Petrochemicals: Refineries require large volumes of superheated steam for distillation and chemical reactions. HTGRs can provide combined heat and power with zero emissions.

• Steelmaking: Traditionally reliant on coal or natural gas for heat and reducing agents, steel production can also utilize advanced nuclear for both heat and electrical generation..

• Mining & Mineral Processing: Operations in remote areas often use diesel generators for heat and power. A compact SMR or microreactor could cut emissions and logistical challenges by running on long-lasting nuclear fuel rather than a constant diesel supply.

Seadrift: A Real-World Example of Industrial Applications

A prime example of advanced nuclear potential in heavy industry is unfolding through Dow’s Seadrift site in Texas. X-energy and Dow have partnered to deploy four Xe-100 SMRs at this large chemical manufacturing facility on the U.S. Gulf Coast, the first advanced nuclear deploymentat an industrial site in North America.

• Paving the way to Progress: Dow and X-energy have collaborated closely since first announcing their partnership in 2022, and continue to make progress towards the deployment, recently submitting a Construction Permit Application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

• Sustainable Industrial Growth: This project would demonstrate how advanced nuclear reactors can support major industrial operations without compromising output or reliability.

• A Blueprint for Others: Manufacturers worldwide could replicate this model, reducing emissions with cutting-edge technology while accelerating global momentum for next-generation nuclear technologies.

For more on this milestone project, see “A Year of Progress at Seadrift” on X-energy’s blog.

Repurposing Coal Facilities to Keep U.S. Manufacturing Competitive

Another advantage of smaller, intrinsically safe reactors is the possibility of repurposing former coal plant sites. These sites already have grid connections, water permits, and an experienced energy workforce.

According to estimates by the U.S. Department of Energy, reusing coal infrastructure can save 15–35% in construction costs. This reduces costs for new nuclear facilities and supports communities by keeping or creating local jobs in advanced manufacturing and plant operations.

Modernizing Manufacturing Without Compromising Output

As heavy industry grapples with how to reduce emissions and maintain the continuous, high-quality heat and power essential for production, advanced nuclear power has emerged as an attractive solution.  

High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) like the Xe-100 offer a safe, modular, and carbon-free energy source that can scale to meet large industrial loads. From supporting hydrogen production to repurposing retiring coal sites, advanced nuclear presents a unique opportunity to enhance and expand clean manufacturing for the future.

By integrating next-generation nuclear into their long-term manufacturing strategies, industry can balance the opportunity to reduce emissions with the practical requirements of maintaining continuous operations and product output. Advanced nuclear power isn’t just for electricity; it’s the high-temperature, 24/7 steam and power solution that heavy industry has been waiting for.

Important Questions

1. How do small modular reactors (SMRs) differ from traditional large reactors?
SMRs, like X-energy’s Xe-100, are smaller in size and output, typically between 50 and 300 MWe per module, allowing for modular construction and easier financing. They can be built in factories and shipped to sites in segments, helping reduce both costs and construction timelines.

2. Why is high-temperature heat so important for heavy industry?
Many industrial processes (e.g., chemical manufacturing, steelmaking, refining) need reliable steam supplies at very high temperatures. Traditionally, this heat comes from burning fossil fuels. Advanced nuclear reactors can deliver the same level of heat with zero emissions.

3. Is advanced nuclear power safe?
Yes. Advanced nuclear reactors incorporate numerous intrinsic safety features. X-energy’s Xe-100, for instance, uses TRISO-X fuel, which is designed not to melt even under extreme conditions. The physics-driven safety design ensures the reactor naturally slows down or shuts off if cooling is lost.

4. Can advanced nuclear reactors replace coal-fired plants?
Yes. One major advantage of smaller reactors is that they can often be sited at existing coal facilities, reusing infrastructure and saving 15–35% in construction costs (according to U.S. Department of Energy estimates). This helps local communities adopt clean energy technologies while preserving jobs.

5. How does nuclear power help with hydrogen production?
Hydrogen is already a major commodity in manufacturing, fertilizer production, chemical production, and oil refining, and it will play a major role in decarbonizing sectors such as transportation, manufacturing, and commercial shipping. Hydrogen is currently reliant on fossil fuels for production. Advanced reactors like the Xe-100 supply can provide the necessary energy to power electrolyzers and produce hydrogen without creating carbon emission.

6. Aren’t nuclear plants expensive?
While large, conventional nuclear plants have historically been capital-intensive, SMRs aim to reduce costs and construction timelines through modular designs and factory assembly. Tax credits and government incentives in the U.S. and other countries further improve the economic case for advanced nuclear.

7. Does advanced nuclear create a lot of waste?
All nuclear technology produces some level of spent fuel, but modern reactor designs like the Xe-100 are more fuel-efficient, generating less waste per unit of energy. The durable TRISO-X particles also simplify handling and reduce the possibility of radiation release.

8. Where can I learn more about X-energy’s technology?
Visit X-energy’s official website to explore details about the Xe-100 reactor, TRISO-X fuel, and related initiatives. You’ll find resources on safety, performance, and the company’s vision for a carbon-free future in power and heavy industry.

9. Who is Building SMRs?
X-energy is leading the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) with the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. Designed for safety, efficiency, and scalability, the Xe-100 uses our proprietary TRISO-X fuel, making it one of the most reliable and advanced SMRs available.

A Year of Progress at Seadrift

One year ago this month, X-energy and Dow announced the selection of Dow's Seadrift, Texas, manufacturing facility as the site for our first Xe-100 advanced small modular reactor plant -- focusing on providing Dow's site with safe, reliable, zero-greenhouse gas emissions power and steam. 

As we reflect on the past year, it's evident that our partnership with the power and manufacturing industry is propelling nuclear energy forward and bringing global attention to the versatility and scalability of advanced nuclear.

Selecting Seadrift

Dow joined X-energy in the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program in March 2023, and the companies signed a joint development agreement to demonstrate the first grid-scale advanced nuclear reactor for an industrial site in North America. In May 2023, Dow announced the selection of its Seadrift site as the project's home.

Spanning 4,700 acres, Seadrift is Dow's second-largest site in Texas and an important manufacturing site for current and future products. With the site's existing energy and steam production assets nearing their end of life, Dow sought to strengthen Seadrift's long-term viability with X-energy's safe, reliable, zero-greenhouse gas emissions technology.

A significant contributor to the local economy, Seadrift employs over 1,200 people and produces more than 4 billion pounds of materials annually. Products manufactured at the site are used across a wide variety of applications including food packaging and preservation, footwear, wire and cable insulation, solar cell membranes, and packaging for medical, pharmaceutical products, and many more essential applications. 

When the Xe-100 plant reaches full operation, it is projected to make a substantial impact, reducing the site's emissions by 440,000 metric tons of CO2e per year. This achievement not only strengthens the site's long-term viability but also serves as a beacon for industries worldwide, demonstrating the potential for significant emissions reduction.

Progress Onsite 

Since site selection, X-energy and Dow have initiated extensive environmental, geological, and geotechnical work to advance progress toward submitting a Construction Permit Application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for review and approval. Most of the work onsite includes detailed analysis and testing of the site environment, soil, and water to help ensure that the Xe-100 plant is designed and constructed based on the site's unique characteristics.

To date, crews have drilled nearly 80% of the wells and boreholes required to collect environmental samples. While initially used to inform the completion of a Construction Permit Application (CPA), some of the wells will also support ongoing sampling and monitoring for the expected 60-year life of the plant.

Momentum through Engagement

Following the site announcement, Dow and X-energy leadership hosted a community town hall with neighbors and Seadrift-area stakeholders to provide more details on the project and the expected timeline. In August, the project was the subject of a fireside chat with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Dow CEO and Chair Jim Fitterling, and X-energy CEO J. Clay Sell. Underscoring the opportunity for energy leadership, Governor Abbott announced the formation of a working group to identify and attract other opportunities to strengthen the state's position in advanced nuclear energy.

A pre-application readiness assessment was initiated with the NRC last October to preview and gather feedback on the project’s draft preliminary safety analysis report (PSAR). The process allows the Commission to provide feedback on most of the nuclear safety portions of the application before its formal submission. The NRC concluded its initial assessment in January 2024, finding no barriers to moving forward and setting a path forward for the submission of the CPA.

The NRC also began its public engagement process earlier this year with a site tour and hosting an open meeting with the community to describe how the application review will unfold.  

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, our vision extends beyond the construction of the Xe-100 plant. We are committed to fostering a sustainable energy ecosystem that aligns with America's clean energy goals and positions the country as a global leader in next-generation nuclear technology. The upcoming submission of our CPA is a significant step in this journey, marking our progress toward realizing the promise of advanced nuclear power.

The first anniversary of the Dow-X energy collaboration is not merely a milestone but a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision. We are deeply grateful to all our stakeholders, including the communities near and around Seadrift, for their unwavering support and trust. Your belief in our mission has been instrumental in our progress, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.

Stay tuned as we continue to make strides in transforming the energy landscape. For more information, please visit the Seadrift project page. 

Reflecting on a Year of Progress and Growth

Reflecting on a Year of Progress and Growth

Nuclear energy has emerged as a cornerstone in the global shift towards a low-carbon economy. Reflecting on 2023, it's clear that our mission to deliver clean, safe, secure, and affordable energy is more crucial than ever as we seek to address the rapidly growing decarbonization and energy demand challenges facing the world today.

We are proud of the technology advancements our team has developed and excited about the opportunities expected to underpin our growth going forward. Because of this, X-energy is poised to make significant strides in the energy sector, and we are committed to meeting the needs for clean, safe, and reliable energy across the globe.

As 2023 draws to a close, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to our success. We eagerly anticipate the opportunities and challenges 2024 will bring, as we remain dedicated producing safe, affordable, and innovative solutions to power the world with carbon-free, advanced nuclear energy.

Here are a few of the significant milestones reached throughout the past year, marking 2023 as a year of unprecedented progress in our quest for sustainable energy solutions:

Advancing ARDP with Dow

Our partnership with Dow under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) represents a breakthrough in advanced nuclear applications. The project aims to deploy the first known advanced small modular nuclear reactor at an industrial site. The initiative aligns with Dow’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2050, demonstrating the potential of nuclear energy in reducing industrial carbon emissions. Read about our joint efforts with Dow.

Selecting Dow’s Seadrift, Texas Manufacturing Site

Dow’s Seadrift, Texas operations site was chosen for our advanced SMR nuclear project. When completed, the project will provide the site with safe, reliable, zero-carbon emissions power and steam production. The selection underscores the versatility and scalability of clean, advanced nuclear energy solutions. Discover more about the Seadrift project.

Signing Joint Development Agreement with Energy Northwest

In July, X-energy and Energy Northwest announced the signing of a joint development agreement for up to 12 Xe-100 advanced small modular reactors in central Washington capable of generating up to a total of 960 megawatts of carbon-free electricity. Energy Northwest expects to bring the first Xe-100 module online by 2030. Explore the details of this agreement.

Accelerating Microreactor Momentum

In September, X-energy and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced an agreement to an expanded contract under their Project Pele initiative to develop a transportable, cost-effective advanced nuclear microreactor prototype for use in remote military locations. X-energy expects to advance the design of its prototype – which could ultimately be used for commercial or industrial use in civilian applications – through an award of $17.49 million within an existing contract with the DOD.
 Read about our microreactor work with DoD.

In October, X-energy and DOE announced the signing of a cooperative agreement through 2024 to further advance the development of a mobile microreactor design. The agreement, awarded through the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, supports X-energy’s continuing work on architecture and key technologies for the preliminary design of the Company’s transportable nuclear power plant. Read about our microreactor with DOE.

Enabling Space Exploration

X-energy was selected to develop a nuclear power source for the Air Force Research Laboratory's JETSON program, focusing on nuclear-powered space vehicle development for satellite positioning and maneuverability. Read about how this project expands X-energy's involvement in strategic space, human planetary exploration, and other applications.

Building a Global Deployment Partnership

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and X-energy announced a partnership at COP 28 to assess viability of X-energy’s nuclear technology for the UAE market, explore development partnerships in the UK and Europe, and a regional deployment framework for the Middle East, Africa, and Indian subcontinent. Read about the partnership and how X-energy is poised to support Net Zero around the world.

Developing New Pathways for UK’s Net Zero Goals

X-energy UK released a new report, Beyond Electricity, that outlines how advanced nuclear plants can accelerate the UK's progress towards net zero emissions. The report summarizes work undertaken in Northeast England’s Teesside as a case study. High-temperature steam from advanced reactors can be used to replace fossil-fuel-generated heat in process industries like chemicals, or to produce hydrogen or clean jet fuels. X-energy is proposing to develop a multi-billion 12-reactor plant at Hartlepool, to be ready by the early 2030s. Read the full report here.

Finalizing Series C Financing:

X-energy finalized a $235 million Series C financing round to support the development of its advanced nuclear technologies, including the Xe-100 small modular reactor and TRISO-X fuel. The DOE is also supporting X-energy's deployment of the Xe-100 at Dow's Seadrift, Texas facility. Read about how these technologies aim to deliver safe, affordable zero-carbon energy worldwide.

Fireside Chat: Advancing Nuclear Technology in Texas

Clean, safe, reliable, and capable of powering everything from the grid to heavy industry, X-energy's advanced nuclear technologies are well poised to become a leading player in the global energy market. And as businesses and governments around the world push towards reducing emissions, leaders in both sectors are taking note and growing to appreciate the technology’s full potential.   

Today, X-energy CEO Clay Sell joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Dow CEO Jim Fitterling at the University of Texas at Austin to discuss this growing potential and their shared vision for advanced nuclear in the state.

“It is with tremendous pride that we bring this innovative technology to only a short drive from the energy capital of the world to the state of Texas. I do believe the technology that we will demonstrate here will be the first of many hundreds of plants that are built not just in Texas, around the United States around the world. What is happening here in Texas really will change the world,” Sell said. 

Texas is widely recognized as a leading source of traditional energy solutions – providing more power than any other state, and more than 10% of the net electricity generated in the country.  The state is also on the cutting-edge of innovative, zero-carbon solutions. In fact, Texas is the largest producer of renewable energy in the country, making it the perfect location for X-energy’s advanced small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear project.  

Announced in May of this year, this partnership between X-energy and Dow will deliver a first-of-its-kind four-unit Xe-100 plant at Dow’s Seadrift, Texas facility. The project will provide Seadrift with safe, reliable zero-carbon power and steam production, cutting the site’s emissions by approximately 440,000 MT CO2e/year. Funded in part by the Department of Energy’s ARDP program, construction will begin in 2026 and will conclude by the end of the decade.

X-energy is making great strides in turning advanced nuclear power into the default technology for global, zero-carbon emissions energy. This partnership with Dow will showcase the unique versatility and wide range of applications of the Xe-100 advanced small modular nuclear reactors for energy production and manufacturing and serve as a model for decarbonizing industry around the world.

Gov. Abbott said, “This is the type of scenario where we can have big universities like UT and our other outstanding universities in Texas, work in collaboration with these two incredible private sector leaders. This is what Texas stands for. Texas is the leading innovation state in the United States because we got innovators like X energy and what they're doing, and then we put wind at their back. So this is a perfect example of how Texas brings all these folks together.”

“It's my view that based on this incredible technology that we will first bring to the marketplace with Dow in Texas that we this technology will change the way the world thinks about clean, firm dispatchable power that will provide the reliability that the grid needs and the sustainability that customers are demanding from their energy providers.”

• J. Clay Sell, CEO, X-energy

"We need 24/7 reliable power. Power needs to be sustainable, reliable, and affordable. And that's where we think new nuclear fits. This is an inherently safer technology than what you're used to seeing. In the utility sector, nuclear is based on light water reactors and you're thinking about large one gigawatt units. One module of the X-energy X-e100 is an 80-megawatt module that generates enough power and steam for us."

• Jim Fitterling, CEO, Dow