Google is turning to nuclear energy to help advance AI. The company announced Monday that it will partner with startup Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the United States. The agreement aims to add 500 megawatts of nuclear power generation from small modular reactors (SMRs) by the end of 2010. The first project is expected to be operational by 2030 and the rest by 2035.
This is the first corporate transaction to purchase nuclear power from SMR. Small modular reactors are smaller than existing reactors. Components are built in a factory rather than on site, reducing construction costs compared to a full-scale plant.
Kairos must have the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approve the project’s design and construction permits. The company has already received approval for a demonstration reactor in Tennessee and is targeting completion online in 2027. The company has already built a test rig (without nuclear fuel components) at its development facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where it is evaluating components, systems and fuel cells. its supply chain.
The companies have not announced financial details of the partnership. Google says the contract structure will help keep costs down and bring energy online faster.
“By sourcing power from multiple nuclear reactors (what experts call a reactor ‘order book’), we can reduce costs and bring Kairos Power’s technology to market faster. “We can accelerate the iterative deployment of reactors,” said Michael Terrell, senior director at Google. I wrote a blog post about energy and climate. “This is an important part of our approach to extending the benefits of advanced technology to more people and communities, and builds on our previous work.”
The AI boom and the huge amount of data center power it requires has led to several deals between Big Tech companies and the nuclear industry. In September, Microsoft signed a deal with Constellation Energy to bring parts of its Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, factory back online. Amazon acquired the nuclear-powered data center from Talen Energy in March.
