• Google has announced that it has struck a deal with nuclear startup Kairos Power.
• The pair will work on the creation of seven small nuclear reactors in the United States.
• The modular reactors would go towards powering the company’s hungry AI data centres.

While nearly every tech company has made significant investments in artificial intelligence over the past two years, the pervasive technology has proved quite resource hungry, with estimates about how much water is needed to keep an AI data centre up and running increasing with each new report that comes out.

As such, Google, like several other big tech firms, are turning to the nuclear power industry in order to meet growing energy demands.

To that end, Google has announced that it has struck a deal with US-based nuclear startup – Kairos Power. The pair plan to create as many as seven small nuclear reactors in the United States over the coming decade.

In fact, the first small nuclear reactor, which is said to be modular in nature, is expected to be completed by 2030, with the remaining six anticipated to be up and running over the following five years (2035).

“This agreement is part of our efforts to develop and commercialize a broad portfolio of advanced clean electricity technologies to power our global data centers and offices. This approach will complement our use of variable renewables, like solar and wind, and help us reach our ambitious 24/7 carbon-free energy and net-zero goals,” noted Google in a blog post.

“The next generation of advanced nuclear reactors offers a new pathway to accelerate nuclear deployment thanks to their simplified design and robust, inherent safety. The smaller size and modular design can reduce construction timelines, allow deployment in more places, and make the final project delivery more predictable,” it added.

Precisely where it plans to position the aforementioned small modular reactors (SMRs) remains to be seen, but earlier this year, Kairos Power took the significant step of breaking ground on its Hermes non-powered demonstration reactor in Tennessee, which is the first advanced reactor project in the US to receive a construction permit from the country’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

“We’ll continue working to accelerate a diverse portfolio of advanced clean electricity technologies and bring new 24/7 clean, affordable energy onto every grid where we operate,” said Google.