HanmiGlobal, South Korea's largest construction management firm, plans to establish a project development company dedicated to the US small modular reactor market. The new US entity would manage projects across the full SMR development cycle, including initial planning, licensing, design, procurement, construction and grid interconnection, positioning HanmiGlobal as an integrator for Korean nuclear engineering firms, equipment suppliers and construction companies seeking a larger role in the American market.
The company hosted a seminar in Washington with the Global America Business Institute to introduce its SMR strategy and explore US partnerships. HanmiGlobal has also reached a separate agreement with Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRealis to jointly pursue nuclear power and industrial plant projects in the United States, building on the company's existing US manufacturing project experience through its 2011 acquisition of Portland, Oregon-based engineering firm OTAK.
HanmiGlobal's push comes as rising electricity demand from US data centers and AI infrastructure increases expectations for growth in the domestic SMR market, which remains in an early stage with NuScale Power the only company holding full Nuclear Regulatory Commission design approval as of 2026. Industry analysts generally expect the first new-build US SMRs to begin operating between 2029 and 2032, meaning the current wave of development agreements is aimed at positioning companies for that later construction window.
Source: UPI - https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/06/24/hanmiglobal-smr-us-data-center-electricity-demand/6061782344833/