Google has taken a significant step towards sustainable energy by ordering six to seven small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) from Kairos Power. This makes Google the first major tech company to invest in new nuclear power plants aimed at supplying low-carbon electricity to its data centers.
On Monday, both Google and Kairos announced that the tech giant has placed an order for reactors that will collectively generate 500 megawatts of power. This agreement will allow Kairos, a young startup founded just seven years ago, to bring its first commercial reactor online by 2030 and additional units by 2035.
Michael Terrell, Google’s senior director of energy and climate, described the move as a key achievement in the company’s long-standing commitment to clean energy. He emphasized that nuclear energy could play a crucial role in meeting the round-the-clock energy needs of their data centers.
When asked whether these reactors would connect directly to data centers or feed into the larger energy grid, Terrell mentioned that Google is exploring both possibilities.
Details about the agreement’s financial aspects remain undisclosed, including whether Google will pay upfront for building the SMRs or settle costs after they are operational.
Last month, Microsoft made headlines by pledging to purchase a 20-year power supply from the decommissioned Three Mile Island nuclear plant, contingent on its reopening. Both Microsoft and Google’s initiatives indicate a growing interest among tech firms in nuclear energy as a viable, low-carbon solution for powering their extensive data facilities.
Google’s partnership with Kairos marks the first time a tech company has commissioned the construction of a nuclear power plant, a significant development in an industry that has seen only three new reactors brought online in the United States over the past two decades.
According to Terrell, SMRs feature a simpler and safer design, reduced construction time, and flexibility regarding where they can be deployed compared to conventional nuclear plants. He believes this venture could provide massive advantages to global power grids if successful.
While Google continues to focus heavily on renewable energy sources for its power needs, Terrell pointed out that achieving carbon-free energy grids will require a mix that includes advanced technologies beyond just wind and solar.
Kairos Power, based in Alameda, California, is working on a reactor design that uses molten fluoride salt for cooling instead of water. In December, the company received the first permit in 50 years for a new reactor type in the U.S, with plans for a 50 MW demonstration reactor named Hermes in Tennessee.
The U.S. Department of Energy is investing approximately $300 million in the Hermes project as part of its Advanced Reactor Demonstration program, underlining the government’s support for smaller, factory-built nuclear reactors aimed at lowering costs and speeding up plant construction processes.
Kairos’s molten salt reactor technology employs TRISO fuel and operates at near atmospheric pressure. The heat from the salt is converted into steam to power turbines, with the goal of having the Hermes plant operational by 2027. In September, Kairos also announced plans to establish a salt-production facility and two fuel laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Mike Laufer, CEO of Kairos, noted that the SMRs being designed for Google would have a capacity of 75 MW and emphasized the company’s focus on the U.S. market.