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A small Swiss nuclear reactor to boost data centers and feed hungry AI
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A small Swiss nuclear reactor to boost data centers and feed hungry AI

Deep Atomic, a Swiss nuclear power startup, has unveiled plans for a small modular reactor (SMR) to meet the growing energy demand of data centers.

The small nuclear reactor called MK60 offers a compact and scalable solution by providing 60 megawatts of electricity and 60 megawatts of cooling for data centers, according to a press release from the firm.

“Data centers (DCs) are the backbone of digital innovation, but their massive power requirements have become the critical bottleneck blocking growth,” said William Theron, founder and CEO of Deep Atomic, in the press release.

Deep Atomic’s SMR is “designed to be installed on-site in data centers, providing reliable carbon-free electricity and energy-efficient cooling, significantly reducing the carbon footprint and helping data centers achieve their energy efficiency goals.” increasingly strict sustainable development.

Through “integrated data center-centric design,” this digital infrastructure can be carbon-free and highly efficient in terms of power and cooling, reducing operating costs and environmental impact.

The company says the reactor is well suited for energy-intensive artificial intelligence (AI) applications, cryptocurrencies and traditional cloud services.

The MK60 ‘hits a sweet spot’

Deep Atomic deliberately chose a smaller 60 MW design, defying the trend of larger 300 MW reactors typical of the nascent SMR sector.

“A 60 MW reactor with an additional 60 MW of cooling capacity is an ideal choice for data centers,” said the startup’s head of engineering, Freddy Mondale, while explaining the logic behind the reactor.

“It is large enough to power significant compute infrastructure, but small enough to enable modular deployment and scaling. »

The Reactor’s scalable power solution can benefit data centers located in different locations, especially those with restricted network access.

Its sophisticated security features enable placement near urban areas, supporting edge data centers with reduced latency and faster service for supercomputing.

“This size also reduces initial investment costs and project risks compared to larger SMRs, making them more attractive to DC operators,” Mondale added.

“The MK60 can be deployed in multiples, enabling scalability from 60 MW up to over 1 GW to meet growing energy demands.”

Bypassing grid restrictions, on-site MK60 reactors enable ideal placement without imposing additional load on infrastructure. The reactor operates regardless of grid reliability and continues to operate 24 hours a day, in all weathers.

Race towards unlimited nuclear energy

Many companies, including tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, have recently signed massive deals to acquire nuclear energy to power their energy-hungry data centers.

Earlier in October, Google signed this is the first contract in its history to purchase electricity from multiple SMRs, a move designed to meet the company’s growing AI-driven energy needs.

Separately, a closed three-mile island in Pennsylvania, which previously operated as a U.S. nuclear power plant, will reopen to meet U.S. energy needs. from Microsoft data centers.

Meanwhile, Zurich-based Deep Atomic says its MK60 reactor design policy focuses on risk mitigation and practical deployment, particularly rooted in decades-old nuclear technology specifically designed for data centers.

“Our fundamental philosophy is to design to be built. We are not reinventing nuclear technology, but we are perfecting it for data center applications.” says Deep Atomic Co-Founder and Design Director, Rea Stark.

“The approach facilitates smoother regulatory processes and efficient scaling,” Stark noted.