Google announced a partnership with small modular reactor (SMR) developer Kairos Power on Monday to secure nuclear energy for its expanding data centre operations.
With energy demands from tech companies rise, particularly for data centres, many are increasingly turning to nuclear energy as a sustainable and reliable power source.
Under this new agreement, Google will purchase energy from a fleet of Kairos Power’s SMRs, marking a long-term commitment to nuclear power.
The company noted that this investment would help accelerate the commercialisation of these smaller, cost-effective reactors, which are seen as the future of nuclear energy development.
Michael Terrell, Google’s Senior Director for Energy and Climate, noted the crucial role of nuclear energy in supporting the tech giant's growth, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence.
“The grid needs clean, reliable sources of energy to support the development of AI technologies. We believe nuclear energy can help meet our demand and do so cleanly, 24/7,” Terrell said during a press briefing.
The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, but Google expects the first reactor to be operational by 2030, with further reactors going live by 2035. In total, these reactors will add 500 megawatts of power to the grid, which is smaller than the output of commercial reactors like Plant Vogtle's 1.1 gigawatt Unit 4. However, SMRs offer advantages such as reduced costs, faster construction, and greater location flexibility.
Kairos Power, founded in 2016 and backed by the U.S. Department of Energy, is already working on its Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Unlike traditional reactors, which use water as a coolant, Kairos Power’s reactors use molten fluoride salt. The company hopes to demonstrate the scalability and efficiency of SMRs, in contrast to the often delayed and over-budget large-scale nuclear projects of the past.
The deal reflects a growing trend among tech companies turning to nuclear energy as they seek to reduce emissions while meeting the constant energy demands of data centres. Nuclear power, which provides emissions-free baseload energy, is a natural fit for companies with ambitious sustainability goals.
Microsoft, for example, is receiving energy from the restarted Three Mile Island reactor, while Amazon purchased a data centre powered by the Susquehanna nuclear power plant. Tech leaders such as Bill Gates, Sam Altman, and Jeff Bezos have also invested in nuclear energy companies.
This shift comes as Google’s own emissions have risen by nearly 50% since 2019, partly due to increased energy consumption by data centres. Google is betting on SMRs to help curb those emissions and support the rapid expansion of its operations globally.
Terrell concluded, “If we can scale these projects globally, they will deliver significant benefits to communities and power grids worldwide.”