Google has penned a major, first-of-its-kind deal with Kairos Power to purchase nuclear energy produced by several small modular reactors as the tech company looks to secure power for artificial intelligence developments.
The deal was announced on Monday and is the world’s first corporate agreement for the purchase of nuclear energy from multiple SMRs. Google plans to purchase energy from a fleet of SMRs made by Kairos Power, with the first reactor coming online by 2030.
“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,” Mike Laufer, Kairos Power’s CEO and co-founder, said in a statement. “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.”
Unlike traditional reactors, which use water, the Kairos reactors use a molten-salt cooling system to transport heat into a steam turbine that then generates power.
The financial terms of the deal were not released on Monday, and it was not clear where the SMRs will be located. At the moment, there are no SMRs operational in the United States, and only three are operational in the world.