Google is turning to nuclear power to help power it its AI driver. Monday, company he said It will partner with startup Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the United States. The deal aims to add 500 megawatts of nuclear power from small modular reactors (SMRs) by the end of the decade. The first one is expected to be launched by 2030, and the rest by 2035.
This is the first corporate contract to buy nuclear power from SMRs. Small modular reactors are smaller than existing reactors. Their components are built in-house rather than on-site, which can help reduce construction costs compared to full-scale plants.
Kairos needs the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to approve design and construction permits for the plans. The startup has already received approval for one demonstration reactor In Tennessee, the online date is set for 2027. The company is already building test units (without nuclear fuel components) at its development facility in Albuquerque, NM, where it is evaluating components, systems and its supply chain.
The companies did not disclose financial details of the deal. Google says the structure of the deal will help reduce costs and get power online faster.
“By purchasing electricity from multiple reactors – what experts call the reactors’ ‘order book’ – we will help accelerate the redeployment of reactors needed to lower costs and bring Kairos Power technology to market faster,” Michael Terrell, Google’s senior director of energy and climate , wrote in a blog post. “This is an important part of our approach to extend the benefits of advanced technologies to more people and communities, and builds on our previous efforts.”
The AI boom – and large amounts of data center capacity requires – has led to several deals between Big Tech companies and the nuclear industry. In September, Microsoft signed an agreement with Constellation Energy to bring a unit Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania online again. Amazon in March got it A nuclear-powered data center from Talen Energy.
