There’s genuine excitement in the air around nuclear power, heightened by Constellation Energy (CEG) announcing it was restarting a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island under a power-purchase agreement with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), and recent announcement that Google and Amazon are investing in small modular reactors (SMR).

Small modular reactors (SMRs), offer cheaper, flexible energy. Producing up to 300 megawatts, SMRs can power factories or neighborhoods, reducing fossil fuel reliance and improving safety.

Currently, nuclear energy’s share of global power generation slumped to 10% in 2021 from 17% in 1990, and much of that dwindling share is powered through aging reactors. Accidents, waste disposal concerns and, perhaps most importantly, costs, have all hampered nuclearoutput.

Construction times for new reactors also are an issue — a new reactor in Finland took 16 years to complete.

But sentiment around nuclear energy is changing. An UBS report says it’s not just technology sector demand for nuclear energy but also the backstopping from governments that can push nuclear forward. “Nuclear is an important source of clean and reliable power that our nation needs to meet the growing demand for energy,” said Ken Griffin, Founder and CEO of Citadel.

Kairos Power is a company focused on developing advanced nuclear reactor technology. Kairos Power is working on the Kairos Power Fluoride Salt-Cooled High Temperature Reactor (KP-FHR), which uses TRISO fuel in pebble form combined with a low-pressure fluoride salt coolant. This innovative technology aims to provide a cost-competitive and reliable clean energy solution.

Recently, Kairos Power signed an agreement with Google to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide up to 500 MW of new carbon-free power to U.S. electricity grids.

Source:  MarketWatch, September 24, 2024, and https://kairospower.com/