SK group said the agreement would “solidify the groupwide push to reduce carbon emissions”.
The conglomerate, which has interests in chemical and energy, did not disclose details for any specific investment in TerraPower. It said subsidiaries SK Inc and SK Innovation will jointly develop with TerraPower “next-generation technologies” needed for small modular reactors.
Unconfirmed press reports in South Korea said recently that SK Group was looking at an investment of up to 10% in TerraPower.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that SK, which has interests in chemical and energy, had been in talks with TerraPower, which has chosen a site in the US state of Wyoming as the preferred location for its first Natrium small modular rector.
SK did not confirm it was in discussions with TerraPower, but said it had been reviewing a potential investment in next-generation nuclear technology in a bid to decarbonise its operations. The company has not made a final decision, it said.
TerraPower announced in November 2021 that it had chosen a retiring coal plant site in Kemmerer in the US state of Wyoming as the preferred location for a new generation nuclear power reactor as part of a project involving companies run by Gates and Warren Buffett.
TerraPower and GE-Hitachi technology are developing the Natrium reactor demonstration project, which is one of two advanced reactor demonstration projects supported by the US Department of Energy.
