Google LLC and advanced nuclear technology developer Kairos Power LLC have signed an agreement to deploy 500 MW of advanced nuclear projects beginning in 2030 to power Google datacenters.
Under the agreement, Kairos Power will develop, construct and operate a series of advanced reactors and sell the power to Alphabet Inc. subsidiary Google under power purchase agreements (PPAs) to provide electricity to datacenters, with the first deployment planned by 2030 and subsequent deployments set through 2035, according to an Oct. 14 news release by Kairos.
Google has a goal of net-zero emissions across all of its operations and value chain by 2030, and a 50% reduction in combined Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2030 compared to a 2019 base. Part of that goal includes operating its offices and datacenters on carbon-free energy.
The deal is the "first corporate agreement for multiple deployments of a single advanced reactor design" in the US, according to Kairos.
"Our partnership with Google will enable Kairos Power to quickly advance down the learning curve as we drive toward cost and schedule certainty for our commercial product," Kairos Power CEO and co-founder Mike Laufer said.
The agreement will support technology development by extending Kairos Power's iterative demonstration strategy through its first commercial deployments, the company said, with each new plant building on progress from earlier iterations to support accelerated commercialization.
An agreement for multiple deployments will also speed commercialization by demonstrating the technical and market viability of Kairos Power's design, said Jeff Olson, the company's vice president of business development and finance.
"This early commitment from Google provides a strong customer demand signal, which reinforces Kairos Power's continued investment in our iterative development approach and commercial production scale-up," Olson said.
The companies did not disclose financial details of the agreement or say where the plants will be located in the US. Nor did they share specific details about what design Kairos Power plans to deploy. Google in a separate statement Oct. 14 noted that Kairos Power's technology uses a molten-salt cooling system combined with a ceramic, pebble-type fuel to transport heat to a steam turbine to generate electricity.
In August, Kairos Power Director of Business Development Evan Cummings said commercial agreements such as firm PPAs are needed for advanced nuclear "to establish trust ... with alignment between technology developers, customers, financiers and utilities."
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in December 2023 approved a construction permit application by Kairos Power to build its Hermes test reactor at a site at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The Hermes test reactor is intended to support development of Kairos Power's fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology, according to the commission.
Kairos Power is partnering with the Tennessee Valley Authority on the small modular reactor demonstration project. The TVA is expected to provide engineering, operations and licensing support to Kairos Power.
