Amazon has announced a series of partnerships for the development of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), aiming to power its data centres with new nuclear technologies.  

The technology giant is leading the $500m funding round for X-Energy Reactor, a company specialising in SMRs. 

SMRs offer a smaller footprint and quicker build times, potentially accelerating the deployment of nuclear energy. 

Amazon is also collaborating with utility companies in the Washington state and Virginia on potential nuclear energy projects. 

With X-Energy, Amazon aims to bring more than 5GW of new power projects online in the US by 2039.  

In Washington state, Amazon has partnered with Energy Northwest to develop four advanced SMRs, with an initial capacity of 320MW, expandable to 960MW.  

This phase could power over 770,000 US homes, addressing the Pacific Northwest’s energy needs from the early 2030s. 

In Virginia, Amazon is exploring an SMR project with Dominion Energy near the existing North Anna nuclear power station.  

This project is expected to contribute at least 300MW to the region, aligning with Dominion’s forecast of an 85% increase in power demand over the next 15 years.  

Amazon’s shift to nuclear energy also includes an agreement to position a data centre adjacent to Talen Energy’s nuclear facility in Pennsylvania, directly sourcing carbon-free energy and supporting the existing reactor. 

Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman said: “Nuclear is a safe source of carbon-free energy that can help power our operations and meet the growing demands of our customers, while helping us progress toward our Climate Pledge commitment to be net-zero carbon across our operations by 2040. 

“One of the fastest ways to address climate change is by transitioning our society to carbon-free energy sources, and nuclear energy is both carbon-free and able to scale—which is why it is an important area of investment for Amazon. Our agreements will encourage the construction of new nuclear technologies that will generate energy for decades to come.” 

This move by Amazon comes shortly after Google announced a partnership with Kairos Power to develop advanced reactor plants under Power Purchase Agreements, aiming to supply clean electricity to Google data centres by 2030.  

These initiatives by leading tech companies reflect a growing trend to meet the surging energy demands of artificial intelligence and data centres.