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Chris Levesque, CEO of U.S. company TerraPower, answers questions from Korean correspondents while explaining the current status at the construction site of ‘Kemmerer Unit 1,’ America’s first commercial 4th‑generation small modular reactor (SMR), on May 28 (local time). / Kemmerer – Ham Man‑joo, Washington Correspondent

Chris Levesque, CEO of U.S. nuclear company TerraPower, highlighted the role of advanced nuclear power in the AI era, noting SK’s investment in small modular reactors (SMRs). “Just one SK hynix semiconductor plant requires the electricity equivalent to a single Natrium reactor,” he said.

He predicted, “In the future, Natrium reactors could support not only semiconductor production but also power supply for data centers.”

Meeting Korean correspondents on May 28 (local time) at the construction site of “Kemmerer Unit 1,” America’s first commercial 4th‑generation SMR project in Wyoming, Levesque praised SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won’s vision from four years ago. “At the time, SK was not merely a financial investor but sought to decarbonize its own businesses. Given SK’s energy-intensive industries, it was a farsighted decision,” he said.

Levesque also mentioned NVIDIA’s investment in TerraPower last year, stressing, “SK’s high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and NVIDIA’s GPUs are critical to the global spread of AI. Advanced nuclear and AI are converging within the Natrium program.”

He cited partnerships with Korean companies as a key factor in cost reduction. Recalling HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun’s remark to him and TerraPower Chairman Bill Gates, Levesque said, “‘Don’t build reactors one at a time—build them like ships, many at once. We produce 50 to 100 vessels a year.’ HD Hyundai is investing not only in TerraPower but also in its shipyard facilities to enable factory production of reactor systems.”

On nuclear non-proliferation, Levesque said, “Bill Gates made resistance to proliferation a core design requirement when founding the company 20 years ago. I am confident Natrium is resistant to nuclear weapons proliferation.”

Regarding nuclear fuel supply chains, he warned, “The U.S. and Korean nuclear industries have learned not to rely excessively on Russian fuel. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fuel prices have doubled.” He explained that fuel for the first Kemmerer Natrium reactor will be enriched in South Africa, while subsequent reloads and reactors will source fuel from the U.S. and global supply chains.

Commenting on recent energy security concerns, including the Strait of Hormuz crisis, Levesque said, “Once a reactor is fueled, it provides enough energy for two winters. You don’t have to worry about next week’s supply. That is a unique advantage of nuclear power.”

On competition in SMR technology standards, he stressed, “TerraPower has invested more than $2 billion over 20 years, with 1,000 engineers contributing to the completed design. We welcome challenges from other companies, but we will be the first.”

                                                                                                            Ham Man-joo