X-energy and SGL Carbon expand graphite capacity

X-energy, Inc. and SGL Carbon announced a binding agreement to double SGL's production capacity for medium-grain isotropic graphite (NBG-18), a critical material for X-energy's Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. Under the agreement, X-energy will invest up to $8 million in milestone-based payments to support facility upgrades at SGL's site in Chedde, France, enabling production of graphite billets for up to eight new Xe-100 reactors per year. SGL will also expand U.S. machining capacity. The expansion builds on a 10-year Supplier Framework Agreement from January 2026, which included an initial three-year award valued at over $100 million. The first NBG-18 billets produced in France have been shipped to the U.S. for machining. This agreement supports X-energy's 11+ GW commercial pipeline, including a four-unit plant with Dow under the DOE's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The companies aim to double European manufacturing capacity by 2030.