ARC Clean Technology and Hyundai Engineering Co., Ltd. have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore collaboration on the deployment of the ARC-100, a sodium-cooled advanced small modular reactor, in the United States and other markets. The agreement, announced on October 29, 2026, brings together a leading U.S. advanced reactor developer and a global engineering, procurement and construction company at a time when demand for firm, dispatchable generation is rising sharply, driven in significant part by the growth of AI data center load.
The MOU identifies two areas of cooperation. The first is support for the first U.S. deployment of the ARC-100 at Idaho National Laboratory, where ARC signed a Strategic Partnership Projects agreement with Battelle Energy Alliance in May 2026. That support includes formation of the project consortium and participation of the Korean nuclear supply chain. The second area is support for completion of the ARC-100 design and for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing under 10 CFR Part 53.
The collaboration matters because it pairs ARC’s reactor technology with Hyundai Engineering’s delivery capability and access to the Korean supply chain. A spokesperson for Hyundai Engineering noted that electricity demand from AI data centers and industrial users is growing faster than existing supply can meet across many markets. The spokesperson described the ARC-100 as among the most advanced fourth-generation designs approaching deployment, with a scale and output well matched to those applications.
James Wolf, Chief Executive Officer of ARC Clean Technology, said Hyundai Engineering brings the kind of delivery capability a first-of-a-kind project requires. He noted that the ARC-100 builds on thirty years of prototype operating experience, that the design is in its final phase, and that ARC is in pre-application engagement with the NRC. Wolf added that what the company is looking for at this stage are partners with a proven record in delivering complex energy infrastructure, and that this agreement is a first step in understanding where HEC’s capabilities and the Korean supply chain can fit alongside ARC’s own.
The timing reflects a broader push to bring advanced nuclear technology to market. INL is one of four federally managed sites designated by the U.S. Department of Energy for AI data center and energy infrastructure development. The ARC-100’s modular design provides 100 megawatts of energy for electricity, industrial applications and the rapidly growing demand for AI data centers. ARC is a U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program awardee advancing first U.S. deployment at Idaho National Laboratory, with international deployment programs in Canada and Türkiye. ARC is headquartered in Washington, DC, and additional information is available at www.arc-cleantech.com.
Hyundai Engineering was established in 1974 as Hyundai Technology Development Co., Ltd. and has grown into a global engineering company headquartered in the Republic of Korea. For more information, see www.hec.co.kr/en.
