Aramco seeks US backing for 1,742°F reactor running 1,100°F hotter than standard nuclear

Texas-based ZettaJoule has secured formal support from Aramco Services Company for its high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), a project designed to produce process heat reaching 950°C (1742°F), which is 600°C (1112°F) higher than output from conventional water-cooled models. This advanced small modular reactor (SMR) modernizes technology that originally began operating in 1998 and reached its full power in 2001 through the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s HTTR.

In a letter to the US Departments of Energy and Commerce, Aramco urged federal backing to accelerate the project s development, signaling to the global investment community that the technology warrants commercial scale-up. Strategic industry validation The involvement of a major oil and gas leader like Aramco marks a pivotal moment for ZettaJoule. By advocating for government backing, Aramco aims to signal the commercial merit of this technology to the global investment community. The energy giant intends to remain closely involved in the development phase to evaluate how these reactors can benefit its own upstream and downstream operations.

This partnership highlights a growing interest in using nuclear thermal energy to decarbonize heavy industrial processes that require extreme heat. Technical evolution and safety The ZJ reactor is built upon a foundation of established engineering rather than being an experimental concept. It modernizes safety-tested and publicly available technology derived from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor. By building on this existing framework, ZettaJoule aims to create a reliable reference reactor that will pave the way for future commercial deployments across various industrial sectors.

Strong confidence in project The company s leadership expressed strong confidence in the project s trajectory following this endorsement. Co-Founder and CEO Mitsuo Shimofuji noted that Aramco’s recognition confirms the potential for these reactors to unlock new solutions for diverse industries.

“We are extremely pleased to receive Aramco’s endorsement and greatly encouraged by their recognition of the strong potential for our ZJ advanced SMRs to unlock new solutions for a wide range of industries,” ZettaJoule Co-Founder, President and CEO Mitsuo Shimofuji said. Executive Vice President Jeff Harper emphasized that the company is fully prepared to advance the project through a combination of private partnerships and government support.

Global momentum for HTGR The shift toward high-temperature reactor technology is gaining significant momentum globally, as highlighted by recent reports from Interesting Engineering. A major milestone was reached in China with the commencement of commercial operations at the Shidaowan nuclear power plant, which stands as the world’s first fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor.

Innovation in manufacturing is also accelerating the deployment of these advanced systems. Interesting Engineering recently detailed how Sheffield Forgemasters successfully welded a nuclear reactor vessel in less than 24 hours using Local Electron-Beam Welding.

Also, the technical foundation for ZettaJoule’s project is seeing a resurgence in its home country. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency recently resumed operations of its High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor—the same technology ZettaJoule is currently modernizing—after the facility successfully met rigorous new safety standards established following the Fukushima accident.