Amazon announces it will invest more than 750 million yen in a next-generation nuclear reactor 'small modular reactor' development project
On October 16, 2024, Amazon announced that it had signed three new contracts to support the development of the next-generation nuclear reactor, the
Amazon enlists nuclear small modular reactors in push for net carbon-zero
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/amazon-nuclear-small-modular-reactor-net-carbon-zero
Amazon goes nuclear, to invest more than $500 million to develop small modular reactors
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/16/amazon-goes-nuclear-investing-more-than-500-million-to-develop-small-module-reactors.html
'Today, we are announcing that we have signed three new agreements to support the development of nuclear energy projects, including enabling the construction of several new SMRs,' Amazon said in a statement on October 16.
SMR is a next-generation reactor that is smaller than conventional reactors, and its output is less than 300MW, compared to the 1000MW of a typical nuclear power plant. It is said that its advantages include its small physical installation area, which allows it to be placed near the existing power grid, and its shorter construction time than conventional reactors.
Amazon's agreement with Energy Northwest , a consortium of public utilities in Washington state, will allow for the development of four advanced SMRs that will be built, owned and operated by Energy Northwest and will generate a total of approximately 320MW in the first phase of the project, with an option to increase this to 960MW in future.
Amazon also led a $500 million investment in X-energy , a company developing SMRs and their fuel. X-energy's advanced reactor designs will also be used in Energy Northwest's projects. The investment also includes support for the development of SMR equipment to support new nuclear projects of more than 5GW.
In addition, Amazon has signed a contract with Dominion Energy , a Virginia power company, to support an SMR construction project near the North Anna Nuclear Power Plant operated by Dominion Energy. CNBC, an overseas media outlet, reported that Amazon's investment in SMRs will exceed $500 million (about 75 billion yen) with this announcement.
In a statement, Amazon said, 'In addition to creating and conserving carbon-free energy sources, our investments in nuclear energy projects are expected to provide an economic boost to the communities where they live,' and argued that investing in SMRs will also help create jobs.
Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services (AWS), said, 'Nuclear power is a secure source of carbon-free energy that will power our operations and help meet the growing demands of our customers. One of the fastest ways to address climate change is to transition society to carbon-free energy sources. Nuclear energy is a key investment area for Amazon because it is both carbon-free and scalable. Our agreement incentivizes the construction of new nuclear technology that will generate energy for decades to come.'
Amazon isn't the only tech company looking to nuclear power to meet surging power demand for its data centers: Microsoft announced in September 2024 that it had signed a contract to power the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant , which will restart Unit 1 by 2028.
The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant will restart and supply electricity to Microsoft - GIGAZINE
Google also announced in October that it had signed an agreement to buy nuclear energy from nuclear power company Kairos Power's small modular reactors (SMRs).
Google signs world's first corporate deal to buy nuclear energy from Kairos Power to accelerate clean energy transition - GIGAZINE
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