Google Nuclear Power Deal: 1.8GW Advanced Nuclear Development

Google Partners with Elementl Power for Advanced Nuclear Reactors

Google and Elementl Power, a developer of nuclear sites, revealed a collaboration this week focused on the development of three locations for advanced nuclear reactors.

The technology giant is actively securing energy resources as its expanding AI initiatives lead to increased power consumption within its data centers.

Expanding Data Center Capacity

This year, Google intends to invest $75 billion in the construction of new data center infrastructure.

Under the terms of the new agreement, Google commits to adding a minimum of 600 megawatts of power generation capacity at each of the three designated sites.

Elementl stated that the reactors will be connected to the power grid, with the possibility of Google directly purchasing the generated electricity.

Elementl Power: A New Player

Until this announcement, Elementl has operated with a low profile.

The company’s team possesses significant experience within the nuclear energy sector, although they have not yet completed the development of any power plants.

Elementl was founded by Breakwater North and receives backing from Energy Impact Partners.

Technology Agnostic Approach

Elementl is adopting a “technology agnostic” strategy, meaning it has not yet selected a specific small modular reactor (SMR) company for project development.

Several options are being considered, with Kairos Power emerging as a potential leading candidate due to its pre-existing agreement with Google.

Kairos Power's SMR Technology

Kairos Power projects that its demonstration plant will produce 50 megawatts of electricity.

The company anticipates that a full-scale commercial plant will generate 150 megawatts, distributed between two reactors.

SMRs vs. Traditional Nuclear Plants

While there isn't a standardized definition, SMRs generally have a maximum output capacity of around 300 megawatts.

In contrast, the recently finished Vogtle Unit 4 nuclear power plant in Georgia generates over 1.1 gigawatts of electricity – almost four times the capacity of a large SMR.

Silicon Valley's Interest in SMRs

SMRs have garnered considerable attention within Silicon Valley.

Numerous startups are entering the field, promising to reduce reactor costs through mass production facilitated by the smaller size of SMRs.

This, combined with the potential for consistent, 24/7 power supply near data centers, has led to several agreements between tech companies and SMR startups, including Oklo, X-Energy, and Kairos.

Challenges Facing SMR Development

Currently, no SMR has been constructed outside of China.

NuScale, one startup, came close to building a reactor, but faced a setback in 2023 when its utility partner canceled the contract after project costs more than doubled, even after scaling down the plans.