Google will use a nuclear reactor as small as a "golf ball" but with energy equal to 4 tons of coal

The US tech giant has signed a deal with California-based startup Kairos Power, hoping to put the clean energy technology into operation by 2030.

"The next generation of advanced nuclear reactors offers a new way to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy through a simple, robust, and safe design. Their smaller size and modular design can reduce construction time, allowing for deployment in multiple locations," Google wrote in announcing the deal.

Kairos Power's nuclear reactor is as small as a "golf ball," but produces the same amount of energy as four tons of coal and emits no carbon.

Kairos Power's technology works by using a ceramic fuel, the size of a golf ball, and a molten salt cooling system to generate power from a steam turbine. The company claims each ball is capable of generating the equivalent of four tons of coal, but without the carbon emissions.

Google has pledged to generate all of its electricity from clean sources by 2035, with the majority of its power consumption coming from its massive data centers located around the world.

Electricity use by data centers in the US is expected to triple between now and 2030, as businesses increasingly rely on energy-hungry AI systems.

Kairos Power plans to build a pilot reactor in Tennessee, but the 500-megawatt deal with Google is just a fraction of the estimated 47 gigawatts of total capacity needed by the end of the decade.

Kairos Power, which is backed by the U.S. Department of Energy, was founded in 2016. In July, the company began construction of the Hermes Low Power Pilot Reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Instead of using water to cool the reactor — as is used in traditional nuclear reactors — Kairos Power uses molten fluoride salt.

Both Google and Kairos Power said reaching the deal before the technology is commercially available will help accelerate the development and scaling of clean energy technology.

The partnership is reportedly aimed at developing and building a number of small modular reactors (SMRs), with Google purchasing output starting in 2030 and ramping up to a maximum capacity of 500 megawatts by 2035.

“Reaching a deployment agreement is critical to accelerating the commercialization of advanced nuclear energy, demonstrating the technical and market viability of a critical solution to decarbonizing the grid while providing needed energy and capacity,” said Jeff Olson, vice president of sales at Kairos Power.

Financial details of the deal remain confidential, as are some other terms. Google does not appear to have made an upfront, equity-like investment in Kairos Power, suggesting the tech giant may have negotiated exit terms in the event of any problems during the reactor’s development. Such precautions reflect the nuclear industry’s history of project delays and budget overruns.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/google-se-dung-lo-phan-ung-hat-nhan-be-nhu-bong-golf-nhung-nang-luong-bang-4-tan-than-192241016013928969.htm