Google goes nuclear to power AI data centres

The growing power challenge in AI

Data centres, particularly those dedicated to AI, are notorious for their immense energy consumption. Recent research from Nuvonix, who recently spoke at EDS 2024 on the topic, found that data centres could account for 13% of annual global electricity consumption and 6% of the total carbon footprint by 2030, only continuing to worsen. These ideas are further backed by the likes of Goldman Sachs, who have found that global energy consumption by data centres alone is expected to more than double by 2030, driven in particular by demand for Cloud computing, AI, and immense amounts of data storage.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that data centre electricity usage could more than double by 2026, reaching over 1,000TWh, or the equivalent of adding an entire country like Germany to the global energy grid. In the US, data centre consumption is expected to reach 35GW by 2030, nearly double the 17GW consumed in 2022.

Innovation in this area are happening, such as with advanced liquid cooling or high-efficiency HVAC systems, which could reduce the cooling-based strain on the grid. One such example of this is NVIDIA’s recent work into what it calls ‘warm water direct-to-chip cooling.’ This method offers a wide array of benefits, including an overall reduction of 28% in data centre facility power.

These data centres not only require electricity to run the servers, but also to cool the equipment in question, leading to a vicious heat- and carbon-producing cycle. On average, the cooling alone can account for around 40% of the centres total power consumption.

These problems will only get worse as the next-generation of data centres come into play, following developments such as NVIDIA’s Blackwell platform which is seeing increased demand.

The growing reliance on AI technologies across industries only works to exacerbate this problem, with AI models being highly-energy-intensive, requiring substantial computational power. The surge in energy needs has led companies to explore cleaner, more reliable energy sources. The partnership between Google and Kairos Power is a reflection of this shift, as companies across the industry look to nuclear energy.

Small modular reactors: a whole new approach

Google’s deal with Kairos Power will see the first small nuclear reactor come online this decade, with additional reactors planned by 2035. Kairos Energy is a specialised in this regard, focusing its efforts on small modular reactors (SMRs) that utilise molten fluoride salt as a coolant over traditional water-based systems you would find in conventional nuclear plants. It is expected that these SMRs could power around 500MW of projects by 2035. This technology offers several benefits, including enhanced safety and the potential for more flexible deployment compared to large-scale reactors.

Details on the specifics, such as location, cost, and immediate timeframe, are not disclosed at this time, but the agreement is generating a significant of serious hype for good reason. There is the possibility that this agreement represents an over-arching step toward the commercialisation of advanced nuclear energy.

Jeff Olson, an Executive at Kairos Power, stated: “This agreement is important to accelerate the commercialisation of advanced nuclear energy by demonstrating the technical and market viability of a solution critical to decarbonising power grids.”

Last year, US regulators granted Kairos Power the first permit in over 50 years to build a new type of nuclear reactor. The company has already started constructing a demonstration reactor in Tennessee, which aims to showcase the technology’s potential. However, the plans must still undergo approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and local agencies before moving forward.

“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,” said Mike Laufer, Kairos Power CEO and Co-Founder.

Nuclear energy in the tech sector

Nuclear power has increasingly become a focus for the tech industry, which is under growing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint while meeting escalating energy demands. Unlike renewable sources such as solar or wind, nuclear power offers continuous, round-the-clock electricity generation, making it highly reliable. Importantly, nuclear energy is virtually carbon-free, which aligns with tech firms’ sustainability goals.

As the tech sector searches for ways to manage its environmental impact, nuclear energy has emerged as a viable option. In recent years, several major tech companies have announced nuclear-related projects. Microsoft, for example, reached a deal to restart operations at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, the site of the 1979 nuclear accident. In March, Amazon announced plans to buy a nuclear-powered data centre in Pennsylvania.

Google’s commitment to nuclear energy through this partnership with Kairos Power is part of a broader trend, reflecting the growing importance of energy reliability and sustainability for AI-driven technologies. As Michael Terrell, Google’s Senior Director for Energy and Climate, stated: “The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies. This agreement helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone.”

The clean energy imperative

While nuclear power presents a solution for tech companies seeking to decarbonise, it is not without its challenges. Critics point to the risks of nuclear accidents and the problem of radioactive waste, which remains hazardous for thousands of years. However, many governments and industries see nuclear energy as essential for meeting future energy needs without increasing carbon emissions.

At the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), the US joined other countries in pledging to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050 as part of global decarbonisation efforts. For the tech sector, which is one of the largest consumers of electricity globally, embracing nuclear power could be a key strategy in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change.

The energy demands of AI data centres are unlikely to diminish in the coming years, and without interventions like this, the environmental impact could be severe. By investing in advanced nuclear technologies, companies like Google are positioning themselves at the forefront of the clean energy transition, potentially setting a new standard for how the tech industry powers its operations in the future.