Amazon is preparing to transform its energy portfolio by building a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) facility in Washington state, USA. The company sought a cleaner and more stable energy source to meet the growing electricity needs of artificial intelligence and cloud computing systems. The facility, which will be built in partnership with Energy Northwest and X-energy, is called “Cascade Advanced Energy Facility”. This project is seen as a reflection of the concrete steps taken by Amazon towards its goal of reducing carbon emissions. In addition to all these, this investment in nuclear energy also accelerates the competition in energy diversity in the technology sector.
SMR technology attracts attention with its compact structure and flexible design, unlike classical nuclear reactors. Each module offers the opportunity to increase energy production capacity according to needs. Amazon is planned to provide 320 megawatts of energy with four reactors in the first phase. By increasing this number to twelve in the second phase of the project, the total capacity will reach 960 megawatts. In addition, this scalable structure allows the company to power its growing AI infrastructure in terms of energy. Despite everything, it may take time for such projects to go through regulatory processes.
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for Amazon
With this project, Amazon not only wants to increase energy production but also strengthen energy independence. The company’s need for reliable energy to ensure uninterrupted operation of its data centers increases every year. Despite this, energy systems based on fossil fuels cannot meet this need sustainably. Therefore, SMR technology stands out as a more environmentally suitable option. On the other hand, construction is expected to begin before the end of the decade, with operations to begin in the 2030s.
Artificial intelligence applications, cloud services and data centers consume more energy every year. This situation directs technology companies beyond traditional energy sources. In this sense, Amazon’s SMR initiative is a move that can affect not only its own operations but also the overall energy transformation. Although nuclear energy is a controversial field, new generation modular reactors are known to be more advanced in terms of safety. This creates a significant advantage in the company’s long-term energy planning.
Giants such as Google and Meta have begun to adopt a similar approach. Last year, Google reached an agreement with Kairos Power to build seven SMR reactors across the United States. Immediately afterwards, Meta aimed to establish a data center that would run on nuclear energy. However, the discovery of a rare bee species in the area where Meta’s planned facility was located delayed the project. These developments show that technology giants are no longer just consumers but also direct producers in energy production. In addition to all these, the process of convincing the public about the environmental effects of nuclear investments remains important.
Amazon’s facility in Washington is being designed to strengthen the energy security of its data centers. In this way, the company aims to ensure that artificial intelligence systems operate more consistently. Since data centers are the heart of cloud services, power outages can directly cause operational disruptions. At this point, the continuity advantage offered by SMR technology is of great importance. In addition, these systems reduce water consumption and waste in energy production.
Economic reasons are also effective in choosing nuclear energy. Fluctuations in electricity prices direct large technology companies to long-term energy investments. These investments both make costs more predictable and ensure operational continuity. In addition, nuclear energy offers a more viable alternative to fossil sources towards carbon neutrality targets. In addition to all these, it seems that governments are increasing their support policies for SMR projects.
Although there are reservations about nuclear energy, the safety standards of modern reactors are incomparably more advanced than in the past. SMR systems can disable themselves with automatic cooling mechanisms in case of a possible malfunction. This passive safety system largely eliminates the risk of human error in classical reactors. In this respect, the social perception of nuclear energy is expected to change over time. Still, this process requires long-term communication that requires public information and transparency.