Advanced nuclear developer X-energy has taken a significant step toward large-scale deployment of its Xe-100 small modular reactor (SMR) by reserving critical nuclear-grade forgings from Doosan Enerbility, one of the world’s leading heavy-component manufacturers.
Rather than a conventional procurement contract, the agreement focuses on early reservation of long-lead nuclear components, underscoring how supply-chain readiness has become a decisive factor in next-generation nuclear projects.
🔹 Xe-100 in Context: Why This Reactor Matters
The Xe-100 is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) designed for modular deployment and flexible energy use.
Key technical characteristics include:
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Helium cooling, eliminating boiling and phase-change risks associated with water
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TRISO particle fuel, offering exceptional retention of fission products even at very high temperatures
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200 MWt (~80 MWe) per module, scalable through multi-unit configurations
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Capability to supply electricity and high-temperature process heat, expanding applications beyond power generation
These features position Xe-100 as a candidate for industrial decarbonisation, data-centre power supply, and hybrid energy systems, where reliability and thermal output are equally important.
🔹 Why Forgings Are a Strategic Bottleneck
In nuclear construction, large forgings are not interchangeable commodities.
They form the backbone of key reactor structures, including:
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pressure-boundary components
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reactor vessel sections
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major load-bearing and shielding structures
Producing these components requires:
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ultra-large forging presses
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specialised metallurgy
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multi-stage heat treatment
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extensive non-destructive examination
Only a limited number of manufacturers globally can meet these standards, and production lead times often span several years.
By reserving forgings early, X-energy reduces exposure to:
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supply bottlenecks
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schedule uncertainty
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cost escalation caused by competing reactor projects
In effect, this step shifts risk away from the construction phase and into controlled, upstream manufacturing planning.
🔹 From Design to Manufacturing Readiness
The reservation agreement signals a broader transition in the Xe-100 programme:
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from conceptual and regulatory development
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toward manufacturing execution and serial deployment readiness
This move aligns with how modern SMR projects are evolving.
While traditional nuclear builds often addressed supply chains late in the project cycle, SMR developers increasingly lock in critical components early to support repeatable, standardised builds.
In this context, forgings are not just parts — they are schedule-defining assets.
🔹 Industrial Implications for Advanced Nuclear
The X-energy–Doosan agreement illustrates a wider trend in advanced nuclear:
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Supply chains are becoming strategic assets, not back-office functions
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Manufacturing capability can be as important as reactor design innovation
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Early industrial partnerships enable scalability — a core promise of SMRs
As multiple SMR designs progress in parallel worldwide, competition is no longer limited to licensing or financing. It now includes access to qualified manufacturing capacity, particularly for heavy nuclear components.
🔹 Looking Ahead
With forgings reserved, the Xe-100 programme is better positioned to move into:
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firm manufacturing contracts
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module fabrication
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site-specific construction scheduling
As first-of-a-kind deployments transition toward fleet-scale rollout, decisions like this one will increasingly determine which SMR designs advance from plans to physical assets.
🔍 Final Perspective
X-energy’s forging reservation is a quiet but telling development.
It reflects a growing recognition across the nuclear sector that the path to commercial success runs through factories as much as through regulators or investors.
In advanced nuclear, the winners are likely to be those who secure not only innovative designs — but also the industrial capacity to build them on time, repeatedly, and at scale.
🔗 Source
World Nuclear News
X-energy ‘reserves’ Doosan forgings
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/x-energy-reserves-doosan-forgings