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Google has made an agreement with Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the United States, aimed at providing 500 megawatts of energy for the data centers on 2035, thus responding to the growing energy demand.

Key points:

• Innovative agreement: first contract for the purchase of nuclear energy from small modular reactors (SMR).
• Energy goal: production of 500 megawatts of nuclear energy by 2035.
• Low costs: construction of factory reactors to reduce construction costs.
• Crescent nuclear interest: other Tech companies, such as Microsoft and Amazon, are exploring nuclear energy to feed their data centers.

Google has recently announced a significant agreement with the startup Kairos Power, aimed at guaranteeing energy for its data centers dedicated to AI. The partnership provides for the construction of seven small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) in the United States, with the aim of generating a total of 500 energy megawatts by the end of the decade. The first reactor should enter into operation by 2030, while the others will be operational by 2035.

This agreement represents a novelty in the commercial panorama, being the first ever for the purchase of nuclear energy from small reactors. Small modular reactors are designed to be more compact than traditional reactors and their construction takes place in the factory, a practice that allows you to contain costs compared to large -scale systems.

To advance in the project, Kairos Power will have to obtain the approval of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the permits necessary for the design and construction. Currently, the startup has already received the green light for a demonstration reactor in Tennessee, scheduled for 2027. In the state of New Mexico, the company is already creating test units without nuclear fuel at its development structure in Albuquerque, where several components and systems are being evaluated.

No financial details were provided regarding the agreement between Google and Kairos Power. However, Google stressed that the structure of the contract will contribute to maintaining low costs and speeding up the entry into operation of nuclear energy. Michael Terrell, senior director for the energy and climate of Google, explained that buying electricity from a set of reactors, what experts call a reactors "orderbook", will facilitate the acceleration of the implementations necessary to reduce costs e Bring the Kairos Power technology to the market in a short time. This approach is part of Google’s strategy to make accessible the benefits of advanced technologies to an increasing number of people and communities.

The interest in nuclear energy is increasing among large technological companies, in response to the growing demand for energy for data centers fueled by the expansion of AI. In recent months, other giants in the sector have taken similar initiatives: in September, Microsoft has collaborated with Constellation Energy to reactivate a unit at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, while Amazon acquired a data center powered by nuclear energy from Talen Energy in March.

This Google initiative highlights a growing commitment to sustainable and innovative energy solutions, in a context in which the power demand for advanced technologies continues to grow.