Nuclear power: Amazon invests in mini-nuclear power plant
X-energy, which develops mini-nuclear power plants, receives a financial injection of 500 million US dollars, in which Amazon plays a major role.
In March of this year, X-energy opened a training center with a simulator for the future control of Xe-100 reactors.
(Image: X-energy)
Amazon is participating in a 500 million US dollar financing round for X-energy, a company specializing in small modular reactors (SMRs). The investment in the company, which was founded in 2009, is intended to help meet the growing demand for energy, according to a statement. Specifically, the money will help to finalize the reactor design and build a production plant for SMRs, also known as mini nuclear power plants, in Oak Ridge in the US state of Tennessee. These are to be operated with TRISO fuel, X-energy announced. US billionaire and Citadel founder Ken Griffin is among those participating in the financing round led by Amazon.
TRISO (Tristuctural-isotropic fuel) consists of tiny uranium-containing particles that can be embedded in graphite shells. The fuel is said to be robust and able to withstand high temperatures, radiation and corrosion. In addition, the cooling system of a TRISO reactor uses liquid salt instead of water. The Xe-100 reactor planned by X-energy has a modular design and can later be prefabricated in factories. The US Department of Energy is promoting the development of this type of reactor.
Growing demand for electricity
Amazon and X-Energy want to use this technology to produce a good 5 GW of electricity by 2039, according to the press release. Initially, a project with four reactors with a capacity of 320 MW each is planned in the US state of Washington, with the option of expanding it to twelve reactors.
Amazon is also cooperating with the energy supplier Dominion Energy Virginia to drive forward the development of SMRs. The two companies have now signed a letter of intent to this end. According to the companies, mini-nuclear power plants could ensure that the ever-increasing demand for electricity is met in the coming decade. This is growing by 5 percent annually in Virginia alone and is expected to double over the next 15 years. Amazon has one of its headquarters in Virginia, where the company operates various solar farms.
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Like Microsoft and Google, Amazon is one of the major US IT companies that want to meet the growing demand for electricity in their data centers with the help of nuclear power. Microsoft is planning to revive a decommissioned nuclear power plant, while Google , like Amazon, is relying on SMR. Terrapower, a company supported by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, is working on a TRISO reactor like X-energy.
(anw)
