Last Energy wants to build 30 nuclear reactors in Texas
The US state of Texas is home to over 340 data centers. The start-up Last Energy wants to build 30 mini nuclear power plants to cover the electricity demand.
Artist's impression of the Last Energy nuclear power plant: construction time of around two years
(Image: Last Energy)
Nuclear power for Texas data centers: The US start-up Last Energy wants to build a nuclear power plant with several reactors to generate electricity for data centers in the US state of Texas.
Last Energy wants to build 30 so-called microreactors or Small Modular Reactors (“SMRs” for short). They will supply customers via the public power grid and private lines. Texas is a hotspot for data centers. There are currently more than 340 in the US state, consuming almost eight gigawatts of electricity, which corresponds to around 9 percent of Texas' total electricity demand.
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The demand for electricity in Texas is increasing immensely due to population growth and the growing number of data centers, said Bret Kugelmass, founder and CEO of Last Energy. “Nuclear energy is the most effective way to meet the demand in Texas, but our solution – plug-and-play micro-reactors designed for scalability and siting flexibility – is the best way to meet that demand quickly.”
Last Energy relies on pressurized water reactors
Last Energy calls its reactor PWR-20, which like the vast majority of SMRs is a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR).
The PWR-20 delivers an output of 20 megawatts. Together, the 30 reactors will therefore feed 600 megawatts into the grid. By comparison, the Flamanville 3 reactor in France, which will be commissioned at the end of 2024, will deliver 1.6 gigawatts when fully expanded.
The advantage of the SMR is that the modules are manufactured in series in a factory and only assembled on site. This should shorten the construction time: the plant in Haskell County should be ready for operation after a construction period of only around two years. The construction of Flamanville 3 was supposed to take five years, but ended up taking 17 years.
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Last Energy already has two demonstrators in Texas, one with one and one with nine modules. There is also demand from Europe: according to the company, it plans to build 80 SMRs there, half of which will be used to supply data centers with electricity.
(wpl)
