FILE PHOTO: A general view of interior of a Nucor steel factory in Blytheville, Arkansas, U.S., March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Karen Pulfer Focht/File Photo

(Reuters) -The Nuclear Company said on Friday that it has signed a strategic agreement with U.S. steelmaker Nucor Corporation to boost the country's nuclear power supply chain and support domestic manufacturing.

TNC, a U.S. nuclear deployment company, said the companies will assess the use of NQA-1 steel and related infrastructure for gigawatt-scale nuclear reactors as per the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' certification standards.

The partnership supports executive orders from President Donald Trump targeting 400 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity by 2050, including construction of 10 large-scale reactors in the next five years, TNC said.

The U.S. has launched an effort to speed development of power plants and transmission lines after Trump on his first day back in office in January issued an order declaring an energy emergency as artificial intelligence, data centers, and electric vehicles are boosting power demand for the first time in two decades.

TNC's partnership also aims to help the U.S. compete with China and Russia, which have expanded their nuclear reactor fleets rapidly in recent years, it said.

"Our partnership with Nucor will protect America's national security, help achieve energy independence and create a more resilient economy," said TNC CEO Jonathan Webb.

(Reporting by Sarah Qureshi in BengaluruEditing by Marguerita Choy)