Google Goes Nuclear To Fuel Insatiable AI Data Center Compute Demand

Google has signed the first corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors (SMR) to be developed by Kairos Power. The tech giant remarked the initial phase of work is intended to bring Kairos Power’s first SMR online by 2030.

As powering AI continues to put more stress on power grids around the world, companies are looking at ways of lessening the burden, while also producing greener means of energy. This is the primary reasoning behind Kairos Power and Google signing a Master Plant Development Agreement, which will create a path to deploying a US fleet of advanced nuclear power projects totaling 500MW by 2035.

“Our partnership with Google will enable Kairos Power to quickly advance down the learning curve as we drive toward cost and schedule certainty for our commercial product,” remarked Mike Laufer, Kairos Power CEO and co-founder. “By coming alongside in the development phase, Google is more than just a customer. They are a partner who deeply understands our innovative approach and the potential it can deliver.”

Kairos Power remarked that under the agreement, it will develop, construct, and operate a series of advanced reactor plants and sell energy, ancillary services, and environmental attributes to Google under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). The power company added plants will be sited in relevant service territories to supply clean energy to Google data centers, with the first deployment by 2030 to support Google’s 24/7 carbon-free energy and net zero goals.

Google remarked in a blog post there are two reasons for the agreement:

• The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies that are powering major scientific advances, improving services for businesses and customers, and driving national competitiveness and economic growth. This agreement helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably, and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone.
• Nuclear solutions offer a clean, round-the-clock power source that can help us reliably meet electricity demands with carbon-free energy every hour of every day. Advancing these power sources in close partnership with supportive local communities will rapidly drive the decarbonization of electricity grids around the world.

In terms of how Kairos Power’s technology works, Google stated it uses a molten-salt cooling system, combined with a ceramic, pebble-type fuel, to efficiently transport heat to a steam turbine to generate power. This technology allows the reactor to operate at low pressure, enabling a “simpler more affordable nuclear reactor design.”

Google added it hopes the new agreement will go beyond just helping the company. It said that by procuring electricity from multiple reactors, what experts call an “orderbook” of reactors, it will help accelerate the repeated reactor deployments that are necessary to lower costs and bring Kairos Power’s technology to the overall market faster.

“Having an agreement for multiple deployments is important to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear energy by demonstrating the technical and market viability of a solution critical to decarbonizing power grids while delivering much-needed energy generation and capacity,” explained Jeff Olson, Kairos Power Vice President, Business Development & Finance. “This early commitment from Google provides a strong customer demand signal, which reinforces Kairos Power’s continued investment in our iterative development approach and commercial production scale-up.”

Kairos Power claims that Google’s commitment to the Master Plant Development Agreement will “catalyze new nuclear development, support US decarbonization goals, and expand access to safe, clean, and affordable nuclear energy with the ultimate goal of dramatically improving people’s quality of life while protecting the environment.”