Amazon-backed X-energy sweet talks investors into another $700M for small modular reactor dream

Steven

Amazon-backed X-energy sweet talks investors into another $700M for small modular reactor dream

Summary

X-energy has closed a $700m Series D round (led by Jane Street and other private equity backers) to continue development of its Xe-100 small modular reactor (SMR) programme while it waits for US Nuclear Regulatory Commission sign-off on a four-unit deployment at Dow’s Seadrift site in Texas. The company claims it has booked 144 units totalling about 11GW of potential capacity across the US and UK, although those figures depend on successful approvals and construction.

The Xe-100 is a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor using TRISO-X fuel pebbles and helium cooling, rated at roughly 80MW per unit over a 60-year life. Amazon previously pledged $500m to X-energy for SMR deployments in the US; X-energy also has a UK joint development deal with Centrica for several gigawatts planned into the 2030s. The funding will be used to strengthen supply chains and prepare deployments amid rising demand for stable, carbon-free power from hyperscalers and datacentre operators.

Key Points

  • X-energy raised $700m in an oversubscribed Series D to advance its Xe-100 SMR programme.
  • The company says it has orders for 144 reactors totalling about 11GW across the US and UK — delivery dependent on regulatory approvals and construction.
  • Xe-100 uses TRISO-X fuel pebbles and helium gas cooling; each unit is designed to produce ~80MW over a 60-year life.
  • Amazon previously invested $500m for planned SMR deployments in the US; Centrica is X-energy’s UK partner for additional capacity.
  • The funding is pitched to shore up supply chains and win more customers as datacentre power demand grows with AI and hyperscale expansion.
  • Other SMR players (e.g. Kairos Power) are also tied to major cloud firms — Kairos has NRC permission to build its demonstrator, highlighting varying regulatory progress across the sector.

Context and Relevance

The story sits at the intersection of energy policy, industrial-scale computing and climate goals. Datacentre power demand — driven by AI and hyperscale growth — is pushing cloud providers to secure long-term, low-carbon baseloads. SMRs are being marketed as a modular, deployable solution that could sit close to demand centres without the footprint or timeline of large reactors.

The piece matters to energy planners, datacentre operators, investors and policymakers because it signals continued private capital inflows into advanced nuclear, but it also highlights the gap between finance and regulatory/constructive readiness: booked orders and big cheques do not equal immediate generation.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you care about where the cloud gets its power, this is one to skim. Big names (Amazon, other hyperscalers) are betting serious money on modular nuclear as a fix for AI-driven power hunger — and X-energy just got another haul of cash to push that vision. It’s useful to know who’s funding what, which designs are leading, and how real the timelines really are.

Author style

Punchy: the article lays out a clear signal — private capital and hyperscalers are doubling down on SMRs. If you follow cloud infrastructure or energy transition trends, the details here are worth a closer read because they show where supply, demand and regulatory friction are converging.

Source

Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/24/x_energy_700m_smr/