The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will fund a study of American small nuclear-reactor technology for Thailand’s first nuclear power plant, part of Washington’s push to promote its civil-nuclear industry abroad.

In a statement on Monday, the USTDA said it signed the grant with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the state utility, in Bangkok. The two sides will study small modular reactors (SMR) capable of generating about 600 MW, enough to power several hundred thousand homes. The agency did not disclose any financial detail.

The study will assess potential sites, costs, and the regulatory steps for Thailand to deploy the technology, the USTDA said. Per vendor-neutral, it will consider reactor designs from seven U.S. companies, namely GE-Hitachi, Holtec, Kairos Power, NuScale, TerraPower, Westinghouse, and X-Energy.

USTDA said the partnership advanced U.S. leadership in advanced nuclear energy and would strengthen energy security across the Indo-Pacific by working with “trusted partners.”

The U.S. study is one of several tracks Thailand is pursuing. EGAT has kept its options open, having signed a cooperation agreement on small reactors with China and explored designs from Russia, Canada, and South Korea.

Thailand’s draft power-development plan envisions two 300-MW reactors, totaling 600 MW, with commercial operation slated for 2037. An earlier planning estimate put the cost of a 600-megawatt project at about THB93 billion ($2.8 billion).

Thomas Hardy, USTDA’s deputy director, called the deal part of “America’s nuclear renaissance.” EGAT Governor Narin Phaowanich said the study would help Thailand assess whether small reactors could strengthen energy security and support a cleaner energy future.

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