The Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that SK was in talks with TerraPower LLC, founded by Bill Gates, to acquire a 10% stake in the company. SK declined to confirm that it was in talks with TerraPower when it contacted Bloomberg, but a spokeswoman said it was reconsidering a possible investment in next-generation nuclear technology in a bid to disrupt its operations. The company has not yet made a final decision, he said.
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See also: Tech Billionaires See Energy Crisis Up to Nuclear Power Small modular reactors are increasingly seen as a way to ecologize countries’ electricity mixes and wean them off Russian gas. Technology billionaires, including Gates, Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel, are investing in the sector, with China connecting its first SMR to the network late last year. China National Nuclear Power Co., Toshiba Corp. and Electricite de France SA are among those who develop the technology. Nuclear power accounts for about 29 percent of South Korea’s electricity, and President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol has said he supports the technology, including small-scale SMRs. SK Group – the country’s third largest heterogeneous group with oil refineries and semiconductors – plans to invest $ 85 billion in green businesses, from electric vehicle batteries to hydrogen. See also: Can small nuclear reactors really help the climate ?: QuickTake Gates-funded TerraPower aims to use advanced refrigerants to build smaller, cheaper and more efficient reactors than conventional cooling water. It plans to build two reactors in collaboration with the US Department of Energy and expects to start operating in 2028. © 2022 Bloomberg LP Bloomberg.com
