Swiss-based nuclear energy startup Deep Atomic has announced plans for a small modular reactor (SMR) to meet the growing energy needs of data centers.
The small nuclear reactor, called MK60, provides a compact and scalable solution for data centers by providing 60 megawatts of power and 60 megawatts of cooling, according to a company press release.
“Data centers (DCs) are the backbone of digital innovation, but their enormous energy demands pose a significant bottleneck to growth,” said William, Deep Atomic founder and CEO. Theron said in a press release.
Deep Atomic’s SMR is “designed to be installed on-site in data centers and significantly reduces carbon emissions by providing reliable zero-carbon power and energy-efficient cooling.” and help data centers meet increasingly demanding sustainability goals.”
With an integrated “data center-centric design,” this digital infrastructure is carbon-free and power and cooling efficient, reducing operating costs and environmental impact.
The company claims the reactor is ideal for energy-hungry artificial intelligence (AI) applications, cryptocurrencies, and traditional cloud services.
MK60 “hits the sweet spot”
Deep Atomic intentionally chose a smaller 60 MW design, bucking the trend of larger 300 MW reactors common in the early SMR space.
“A 60 MW reactor with an additional 60 MW of cooling capacity hits the sweet spot for data centers,” said Freddie Mondale, the startup’s head of engineering, explaining the rationale behind the reactor. I said this while doing so.
“It’s large enough to power critical computing infrastructure, yet small enough to allow for modular deployment and expansion.”
Nuclear reactor scalable power solutions can benefit data centers located in a variety of locations, especially those with limited access to the power grid.
Advanced safety features enable deployment closer to urban areas and support edge data centers with lower latency and faster services for high computing.
“This scale also reduces initial capital costs and project risk compared to larger SMRs, making them more attractive to DC operators,” Mondale added.
“The MK60 can be deployed in multiple units, allowing for scalability from 60 MW to more than 1 GW to meet growing energy demands.”
The MK60 on-site reactor circumvents grid limitations, allowing for ideal placement without additional stress on the infrastructure. The reactor operates regardless of the reliability of the power grid and remains open 24 hours a day in all weather conditions.
The race to limitless nuclear power
A number of companies, including tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, have recently signed major deals to acquire nuclear power to power their energy-hungry data centers.
In early October, Google signed its first-ever agreement to purchase power from multiple SMRs, a move aimed at supporting the company’s growing energy needs driven by AI.
Meanwhile, a three-mile shuttered island in Pennsylvania that previously operated as a U.S. nuclear power plant will be restarted to meet the energy needs of Microsoft’s data center.
Meanwhile, Zurich-based Deep Atomic says its MK60 reactor design philosophy is rooted in decades-old nuclear power technology tailored specifically for data centers and focused on risk mitigation and practical deployment. It is claimed that it has a .
“Our core philosophy is to design to be built. We are not reinventing nuclear technology; we are refining it for data center applications.” said Rhea Stark, co-founder and chief design officer of Deep Atomic.
“This approach facilitates a smoother regulatory process and efficient expansion,” Stark said.
