O Google signed an unprecedented agreement to purchase power from a fleet of mini nuclear reactors to generate the energy needed for increased use of artificial intelligence (AI).
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The US technology corporation ordered six or seven small nuclear reactors (SMRs) from Kairos Power, California, with the first scheduled for completion by 2030 and the remainder by 2035.
O Google hopes the deal will provide a low-carbon solution to power data centers, which require huge volumes of electricityThe Alphabet-owned company said nuclear provided âa clean, uninterrupted source of power that can help us reliably meet our electricity demands.â
The explosive growth of generative AI, as well as cloud storage, has increased the electricity demands of technology companies. Last month, a Microsoft has reached a deal to receive power from Three Mile Island, activating the nuclear plant for the first time in five years. The site, in Pennsylvania, was the location of the most serious reactor meltdown in U.S. history, in March 1979.
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Amazon purchased a nuclear-powered data center in March, also in Pennsylvania, from Talen Energy.
The locations of the new power plants Google and the financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The technology company has agreed to buy a total of 500 megawatts of power from Kairos, which was founded in 2016 and is building a demonstration reactor in Tennessee that is scheduled to be completed in 2027.
Michael Terrell, the senior director of energy and climate at Google, said: âThe grid needs new sources of electricity to support AI technologies that are driving major scientific advances, improving services for businesses and customers, and boosting national competitiveness and economic growth.
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âThis agreement helps accelerate new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone.â
Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos, said: âWe are confident that this innovative approach will improve the prospects of our projects being delivered on time and on cost.â
The deal, which is subject to regulatory clearances, represents a vote of confidence in SMR technology. Smaller, prefabricated power plants are designed to reduce the cost overruns and delays often experienced in building larger plants. However, critics argue that SMRs will be expensive because they may not be able to achieve the same economies of scale as larger plants.
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SMRs are defined as reactors with a maximum power of 300 megawatts (MW) that can produce more than 7 million kilowatt-hours per day. However, some designs are larger than this and the term is often used simply to describe prefabricated modular plants.
Large nuclear power plants typically have an output of more than a gigawatt and the planned plant at Hinkley Point C in Somerset is expected to produce 3,2 GW, enough energy to power 6 million homes.
In the UK, companies are competing to be selected by the government to develop their SMR technologies, as ministers aim to revive the country's nuclear industry.
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One of the bidders, Rolls-Royce SMR, received a significant boost last month when it was selected by the Czech government to build a fleet of reactors. Rolls said one of its SMRs would be a tenth the size of a large power plant and produce enough energy for a million homes.
It has been argued that SMRs could supplement the output of large-scale reactors as countries attempt to move away from fossil fuel-generated power. Proponents argue that they provide a more flexible approach to building new nuclear plants as they require less cooling water and a smaller footprint, opening up a wider range of potential sites.
However, environmentalists and academics have argued against the technology, claiming it does not have a proven track record in the UK and that the resources would be better spent on renewables such as more offshore wind.
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