Fermi America signed nuclear energy-related deals with two South Korean companies in an effort to advance development of planned Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, the Texas-based company said Monday.
The privately owned Fermi America entered into an agreement with Doosan Enerbility to start forging production of “long-lead-time nuclear equipment”, such as reactor pressure vessels and steam generators, according to the company’s press release.
In the second deal, Fermi America signed a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract with Hyundai Engineering and Construction to start engineering work on four AP1000 reactors for its 11,000-megawatt hybrid grid campus, “Project Matador”. The ambitious project would build data centers in Texas powered by nuclear, natural gas and renewable energy.
In September, Fermi America had the first part of its combined operating license application for its project accepted for review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The company submitted the second part of the application Aug. 20.
Westinghouse joined in the effort to deploy four AP1000 reactors through agreement in late August to help Fermi America complete its combined operating license application.
On June 26, Fermi America first announced its plans for Project Matador, a complex of data centers and energy generation units in Amarillo, Texas.
“Doosan’s commitment to putting Fermi in the front of the nuclear power plant component line alongside Hyundai E&C’s FEED award is where vision turns into execution,” CEO of Fermi Nuclear Mesut Uzman said in the release. “Between their unmatched global record and Fermi’s commitment to action, Project Matador is setting the pace for how advanced nuclear power will be built efficiently, affordably, safely, and at scale.”
The two deals come days before President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea, which is scheduled to occur Wednesday. Fermi America was co-founded by Rick Perry, a former Republican governor of Texas and secretary of energy during the first Trump administration.