Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Google will purchase energy from small modular nuclear reactors under the agreement to support the first commercial deployment of Kairos Power’s reactors by 2030 and reactors reaching a total capacity of 500 MW by 2035. Agreed.
_22592.jpg "Google and Kairos Power partner to deploy SMR 6")
Under the Master Plant Development Agreement signed by the two companies, Kairos Power will develop, construct and operate a series of new nuclear reactor plants and sell energy, ancillary services and environmental attributes to Google under power purchase agreements (PPAs). It will be. The power plants will be located in “relevant service areas to provide clean power to Google’s data centers,” with the first generation planned by 2030 to support Google’s 24/7 carbon-free energy and net-zero goals. Deployment is scheduled to take place.
The companies say this is the first corporate agreement to deploy multiple units of a single advanced reactor design in the United States.
Kairos employs a rapid iterative development approach and vertical integration strategy to bring its fluoride salt cooled high temperature reactor technology to market. Site work and excavation of a low-power demonstration reactor version, Hermes, began earlier this year in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issuing a construction permit in 2023 and aiming to begin operation by 2027. It has begun. NRC is also completing the final environmental assessment for the next construction – a two-unit power generation Hermes 2 plant, which will also be located in Oak Ridge.
Kairos said the innovative multi-plant agreement with Google will support technology development by extending Kairos Power’s iterative demonstration strategy through initial commercial deployment, “building on advances from early iterations and developing new “Each plant will enable continuous learning and optimization, supporting accelerated commercialization.” Along the way, milestone-based accountability built into the contract will establish confidence in Kairos Power’s ability to deliver through a long-term partnership. ”
Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos Power, said, “Partnering with Google allows Kairos Power to quickly advance the learning curve toward cost and schedule certainty for commercial products.” states. “By working together during the development phase, Google is more than just a customer; it is a partner who deeply understands our innovative approach and the possibilities it offers.”
Google aims to achieve net-zero emissions across its operations and value chain by 2030. Earlier this year, Google announced plans to work with Microsoft and steelmaker Nucor to develop new business models and aggregate demand for advanced clean power technologies. , issued a request for information to identify the specific projects involved, including advanced nuclear power.
The additional power generation to be developed under the multi-plant agreement with Kairos will complement the existing use of variable renewable energy, while supporting the achievement of 24/7 carbon-free energy and net-zero goals. the company said.
This groundbreaking announcement will accelerate the transition to clean energy as Google and Kairos Power aim to add 500 MW of new 24/7 carbon-free electricity to the U.S. power grid.” said Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google. “This agreement supports the advanced energy technologies needed to meet net-zero and 24/7 carbon-free energy goals and enable more communities to benefit from clean, affordable electricity in the future. This is an important part of our efforts to commercialize and scale the .
Google pioneered the first corporate purchase agreement for renewable power more than a decade ago and has played a pivotal role in accelerating clean energy solutions ever since, Terrell said in a blog post. The agreement with Kairos is important because the power grid will need new sources of power to support AI technologies, and nuclear power can ensure those demands are met with carbon-free energy every hour of every day. he added.
“By sourcing power from multiple reactors, we can reduce costs and accelerate the iterative deployment of reactors needed to bring Kairos Power’s technology to market more quickly. , is an important part of our approach to bringing the benefits of advanced technology to more people,’ and builds on previous efforts,” he said.
“We remain committed to accelerating our diverse portfolio of advanced clean power technologies and bringing new, 24/7, clean, affordable energy to every power grid we operate. .”
molten salt furnace
Molten salt reactors (MSRs) use molten fluoride salts as the low-pressure primary coolant. Some designs, like Kairos Power’s KP-FHR, use solid fuel, while others use fuel salts, where nuclear fuel is dissolved in a coolant.
The KP-FHR uses fully ceramic TRISO (triple structural isotropic) pebble-type fuel. The Hermes and Hermes 2 demonstration plants will each have units with a thermal capacity of 35 MW. The two 35 MWt units on Hermes 2 are intended to power a common turbine generator set to generate approximately 20 MW of electricity (MWe).
Kairos envisages delivering the commercial KP-FHR as a dual unit plant, with two 75 MWe units, for a total output of 150 MWe.
MSR is one of four major types of SMR currently being developed. SMR is broadly defined as a nuclear reactor with a capacity equivalent to up to 300 MWe, designed in modular technology using modular factory manufacturing, pursuing serial production economies and short construction times.
