▾Google has partnered with Kairos Power and plans to power its data centers with small modular reactors. The aim is to secure 500 MW of zero-emission energy by 2030. The ambitious plan faces both technical and societal challenges.
In a time when the energy demands of data centers and artificial intelligence are rapidly increasing, technology giants are seeking alternative energy sources. Google has taken a bold step by partnering with the startup Kairos Power to build seven small modular reactors to power its data centers. This step promises to add approximately 500 megawatts of zero-emission electricity to the grid.
Nuclear energy: A new hope for data centers?
Google's collaboration with Kairos Power is not unique. Other tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon are also turning to nuclear energy. Microsoft has partnered with Constellation Energy to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island.
Conversely, Amazon plans to establish a hyperscale data center directly connected to a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Thus, nuclear energy is increasingly being seen as a reliable and zero-emission source for energy-intensive data centers.
Challenges and obstacles on the path to a nuclear future
Kairos Power is among the new generation of startups focused on small modular reactors (SMRs). These reactors promise lower costs and quicker construction compared to traditional nuclear power plants.
Kairos takes it a step further by using molten salts of lithium fluoride and beryllium as coolant instead of water. While the innovative approach has received approval from regulatory bodies, it also represents a technological challenge.
Google aims to complete construction by 2030
The economic aspect of SMRs has not yet been proven in practice, and the use of molten salts deviates from decades of experience with water-cooled reactors. Public opinion also poses a significant hurdle.
Although support for nuclear energy is growing, there is still a significant portion of the population opposed to its use. Google expects the new plants to be operational by the end of the decade. Kairos Power originally planned to commence commercial operation in the early 2030s, so the 2030 timeframe appears ambitious.
Furthermore, Kairos finds itself in a race with fusion startups that are also aiming to launch commercial plants by 2035. Whether Google and Kairos Power will be able to overcome these obstacles and realize their vision of nuclear-powered data centers remains to be seen.
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