Google signs first corporate deal for small modular nuclear reactors.
Tech giant Google has penned the world’s first corporate agreement to purchase electricity from multiple small modular nuclear reactors to meet its burgeoning power needs for artificial intelligence operations.
The deal with US-based Kairos Power aims to commission the startup’s initial small modular reactor by 2030, followed by additional deployments through 2035.
While financial details were not disclosed, Google will source 500 MW of energy from six to seven reactors over the next decade and beyond.
Acknowledging nuclear power’s role in providing clean, consistent electricity at scale, Google looks to supplement the AI-driven surge in data center usage through SMRs.
Other tech majors like Amazon and Microsoft have recently tied up with nuclear plant operators as well. Kairos will need full licensing from US regulators, which can take years. It has so far received construction approval for a demonstration facility in Tennessee.
SMRs are factory-built to lower costs but face challenges around the economy of scale and long-term radioactive waste disposal.
Google says the order framework will galvanize SMR commercialization by cementing market demand and long-term commitment upfront.
If permitted smoothly, the deal could see new nuclear power sources come online to sustain the industry’s digital transformation well into the future.
