Google Plans Advanced Nuclear Reactor Project For Tennessee
(Thursday August 21, 2025 @03:00AM (BeauHD)
from the nuclear-power-up dept.)
- Reference: 0178798434
- News link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/08/21/0251255/google-plans-advanced-nuclear-reactor-project-for-tennessee
- Source link:
Google, TVA, and Kairos Power are [1]teaming up to power data centers with advanced nuclear energy through a collaboration in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The project aims to deliver 50 MW of nuclear energy by 2030. From a blog post:
> Today we [2]announced the first deployment of Kairos Power's advanced nuclear reactor -- the Hermes 2 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee -- through a new power purchase agreement (PPA) between Kairos Power and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Marking the first purchase of electricity from an advanced GEN IV reactor by a U.S. utility, this agreement will enable 50 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy on TVA's grid that powers our data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee and Jackson County, Alabama.
>
> Last October, we [3]began a long-term collaboration with Kairos Power to unlock up to 500 MW of nuclear power for the U.S. electricity system through multiple deployments of their small modular reactor. With this next step, we are creating a three-party solution where energy customers, utilities, and technology developers work together to advance new technologies that can help meet the world's growing energy needs with reliable, affordable capacity.
>
> Here's how it works: TVA will purchase electricity from Kairos Power's Hermes 2 plant, scheduled to begin operations in 2030. In this initial phase of the collaboration, we will procure clean energy attributes from the plant through TVA to help power our data centers in the region with locally sourced clean energy, every hour of every day.
[1] https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/google-first-advanced-nuclear-reactor-project-with-kairos-power-and-tennessee-valley-authority/
[2] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/google-kairos-power-tva-collaborate-to-meet-americas-growing-energy-needs-302531747.html
[3] https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/24/10/14/2022231/google-inks-deal-with-nuclear-company-as-data-center-power-demand-surges
> Today we [2]announced the first deployment of Kairos Power's advanced nuclear reactor -- the Hermes 2 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee -- through a new power purchase agreement (PPA) between Kairos Power and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Marking the first purchase of electricity from an advanced GEN IV reactor by a U.S. utility, this agreement will enable 50 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy on TVA's grid that powers our data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee and Jackson County, Alabama.
>
> Last October, we [3]began a long-term collaboration with Kairos Power to unlock up to 500 MW of nuclear power for the U.S. electricity system through multiple deployments of their small modular reactor. With this next step, we are creating a three-party solution where energy customers, utilities, and technology developers work together to advance new technologies that can help meet the world's growing energy needs with reliable, affordable capacity.
>
> Here's how it works: TVA will purchase electricity from Kairos Power's Hermes 2 plant, scheduled to begin operations in 2030. In this initial phase of the collaboration, we will procure clean energy attributes from the plant through TVA to help power our data centers in the region with locally sourced clean energy, every hour of every day.
[1] https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/google-first-advanced-nuclear-reactor-project-with-kairos-power-and-tennessee-valley-authority/
[2] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/google-kairos-power-tva-collaborate-to-meet-americas-growing-energy-needs-302531747.html
[3] https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/24/10/14/2022231/google-inks-deal-with-nuclear-company-as-data-center-power-demand-surges
5 years from now .... (Score:2)
by thesjaakspoiler ( 4782965 )
[1]https://killedbygoogle.com/ [killedbygoogle.com]
[1] https://killedbygoogle.com/
I wonder (Score:2)
I wonder if anyone at Google Googled "How to build a nuclear power plant" to get this project started.
Re: (Score:2)
I wonder if they got any of their project managers involved, and if they'll judge that the project hasn't turned a profit in 2 years so needs to be abandoned.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I wonder why they went small? SONGS (San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station) was 2GW. Its shut down now, but a decent nuclear power plant is in the gigawatts not megawatts range.
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe. It's a Gen IV reactor, so very old tech with many known problems. They are claiming some unspecified "advanced" features. It's rather small by reactor standards too, at 500MW (doesn't say if that is thermal or electrical).
Very likely it amounts to nothing.
Re: (Score:2)
They have Gemini for that now. Just instruct an AI agent "build me a nuclear power plant" and wait.