To meet its large vitality demand for its AI and cloud providers, Amazon is investing in nuclear energy as a cleaner choice. After signing offers to assist construct nuclear vitality initiatives final 12 months, the tech large revealed plans for an upcoming small modular reactor, or SMR, in Richland, Washington. Amazon is working with Energy Northwest, Washington state’s utility company, and X-energy, an SMR developer, to construct the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility.
The SMR takes up much less house than conventional nuclear reactors, however will nonetheless supply a modular design that may pump out as much as 960 megawatts of energy. Amazon plans to assist develop 4 SMRs within the first part of the Cascade facility that can present an preliminary energy capability of 320 megawatts. After that, the ability has the choice to broaden to 12 models for max vitality manufacturing. According to Amazon, development on the challenge will start someday earlier than the top of the last decade, whereas operations are anticipated to start within the 2030s.
Amazon is not the one massive tech firm turning to nuclear energy to energy its synthetic intelligence operations. In October of final 12 months, Google partnered with a nuclear vitality firm referred to as Kairos Power to construct seven SMRs throughout the United States. A month later, Meta was additionally trying to construct a nuclear-powered AI knowledge middle, however reportedly stumbled upon the invention of a uncommon species of bee that halted plans.