Artificial intelligence has sent the demand for electricity in the US after years of almost zero growth. This has sent large technology companies to try to ensure the production of skills for their data centers.
For many, it meant to turn to nuclear fission. The energy source has experienced a resurgence in recent years after decades of plant closure. (Freight, used in all current nuclear factories, is different from fusion, the even experimental approach to take power from people who, while attracting investors, has not yet produced more electricity than it consumes.)
For technology companies, part of the fission appeal is a stable, predictable source of energy that flows 24/7, giving their data centers the ability to perform computer loads whenever they require.
But another part of the appeal lies in new reactors plans that promise to overcome the weaknesses of existing nuclear power stations. Where old electricity production units were built around mass reactors that could create over 1 Gigawatt electricity, new small articulated reactor (SMR) designs see multiple sections that develop parallel to meet a number of needs.
SMRs are based on mass production to reduce costs, but to date, no one has built one in the US yet, which has not kept Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft away from the table. They have either signed agreements to buy power from nuclear enterprises or invest directly in them – or both.
Here are the newly established nuclear fission companies supported by the Big Tech.
Kairos power
Kairos power He received a confidence vote from Google when the search giant promised to buy about 500 Megawatts of electricity by 2035, with the first reactor aiming to come to the internet by 2030.
The company’s small hinged reactors are based on the melted fluoride salt for cooling and the heat transfer to a steamboat. The high boiling point of the salt means that the refrigerant does not need to be maintained at high pressure, which should improve the safety of the operation. The reactors contain fuel pebbles coated in carbon shells and ceramics, which should be strong enough to withstand collapse.
Alameda -based boot has received a 629 million $ Award by the US government, including $ 303 million by the Ministry of Energy. In November 2024, Kairos was approved by the US Nuclear Regulatory Committee to begin construction in two reactors in Tennessee. At 35 Megawatts, test units will be smaller than Kairos’ final commercial reactors, which are expected to produce 75 megawatts each.
Oak
Oak It is another SMR company aimed at the world of the Data Center – is not surprising, as it was supported by Openai Sam Altman CEO, who also took the nuclear start through the reverse merger with the Special Purpose Vehicle, Altc, July 2023. Peter Thiel’s management is among the previous boot investors.
It is cooled by the liquid metal, the Oklo reactor is based on an existing US Ministry of Energy planning aimed at reducing the amount of nuclear waste resulting from regular functions. Still, the trail of Oklaia was not smooth. The company First license request He refused in January 2022, Oklo said he would re -apply at some point in 2025, but this has not stopped landing an agreement to supply the data center with 12 gigawatts by 2044.
Otherwise
Like Cairo, OtherwiseFormerly known as Seaborg, he also wants to build SMRs cooled by teasing salt. But unlike Kairos and others, he envisions two to eight of them on a ship to create what a barge calls. The start has raised almost $ 60 million, including a round of $ 6 million seeds that included investment by Bill Gates, Peter Thiel and co -founder David Helgason, according to the Pitchbook. Satlfoss has an agreement with Samsung Heavy Industries on the construction of ships and reactors designed by Satlfoss.
Scurvy
Founded by Bill Gates, Scurvy It manufactures a larger reactor, called Natrium, which is cooled with sodium fluid and has storage of melted salt.
The company broke the ground at the first power plant in June 2024 in Wyoming. Natrium design requires the reactor to create 345 megawatts of electricity. This is smaller than other new nuclear factories today, but larger than most SMR designs.
However, Natrium has a trick up to its sleeve with the melted salt heat storage system. Since nuclear reactors work better in a stable state, the derivative reactor can continue to break individuals when demand is low and extra energy is stored as a heat in a melted salt tank, which can be pumped later to create electricity.
Investors include Gates’ Cascade Investment Fund, Khosla Ventures, CRV and Arcelormittal.
Energy x
Energy x A heavy series of $ 700 million landed C-1 last year led by the Amazon climate fund. At the same time, the start of the SMR announced two development agreements that would see the development of 300 new nuclear capacity in the northwest and Virginia.
The company’s high temperature reactors, gas reactors, recent trends in the US and Europe, where design has been avoided in favor of other approaches. The company’s XE-100 reactor is expected to produce 80 Megawatts of electricity. Sun gas flows through the “pebbles” of the reactor of 200,000 billiards, absorbing the heat to rotate an steamboat.
