The reactors, bought from Kairos Power, will come online in 2030, providing up to 500 MW of power as Google’s data centres require more electricity sources to support its increasing AI workloads.
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Michael Terrell, senior director for energy and climate at Google said the reactors would provide 24/7 carbon-free power to US electricity grids and “help more communities benefit from clean and affordable nuclear power.”
Under the agreement, Kairos Power will develop, construct, and operate reactor plants, selling Google energy and “ancillary services” for its US data centres.
The initial reactors will come online in 2030, with additional reactor deployments to occur through 2035.
Kairos’ reactor technologies leverage TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) fuel, which is made up of a uranium, carbon and oxygen fuel kernel.
The fuel is distilled into “pebbles”, small spheres the size of snooker balls, that are then combined with a low-pressure fluoride salt coolant to create a steam cycle that converts heat from fission into electricity.
Kairos’ nuclear tech is then applied to small-scale reactors that can be affixed to premises, like data centres, providing additional carbon-free power.
The system is designed to operate at low pressure, enabling a simpler, safer, and more affordable nuclear reactor for operators.
“This agreement is a key part of our effort to commercialise and scale the advanced energy technologies we need to reach our net zero and 24/7 carbon-free energy goals and ensure that more communities benefit from clean and affordable power in the future,” said Terrell.
Google’s decision to snap up nuclear reactors comes as the company is looking to scale its infrastructure to support increasing demand for its AI services.
The search giant recently unveiled plans to build new data centre sites in Thailand, South Carolina, and Uruguay.
The deal with Karios marks Google’s first venture into leveraging nuclear power.
The tech giant trialled using geothermal energy in a project with Fervo Energy last November, providing carbon-free electricity for the local grid that serves its data centres in Nevada.
“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,” said Mike Laufer, co-founder and CEO of Kairos.
“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.”
Google rival Microsoft also recently purchased access to nuclear power for its data centres, reviving the previously shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear site.
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