Deep Atomic launches SMR for data centres

The MK60 small modular reactor design, developed specifically to provide power and cooling to data centres, has been unveiled by Deep Atomic.

The MK60 is a light water small modular reactor (SMR) incorporating multiple passive safety systems. Deep Atomic says it is "compact, scalable, and built on a foundation of proven technology". Each unit generates up to 60 MWe and provides an additional 60 MW of cooling capacity through its "integrated data centre-centric design approach".

The company - headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland - says the reactor is well-suited to various types of data centres, including those supporting traditional cloud services, cryptocurrency operations, and AI applications.

"Data centres are the backbone of digital innovation, but their massive energy needs have become the critical bottleneck blocking growth," said Deep Atomic founder and CEO William Theron.

The MK60 is said to offer data centre operators a scalable power solution that can be deployed in various locations, including areas with limited grid access, and can be sited closer to urban areas due to its advanced safety features.

"It's designed to be installed on-site at data centres, delivering reliable zero-carbon electricity and energy-efficient cooling, thereby significantly reducing carbon footprints, and helping data centres meet their increasingly stringent sustainability goals," Theron said.

Deep Atomic's Head of Engineering Freddy Mondale noted that many regions were struggling to provide the amounts of power that new data centres require. "Our on-site reactors bypass these grid limitations, allowing DCs (data centres) to be built in optimal locations without straining existing infrastructure."

Mondale says that a 60 MWe reactor with additional 60 MW of cooling capacity "hits a sweet spot for data centres. It's large enough to power significant compute infrastructure, yet small enough to allow for modular deployment and scaling".

He added: "The MK60 can be deployed in multiples, allowing scalability from 60 MW up to over 1 GW to meet growing energy demands."

Deep Atomic says it has already begun to engage with regulators and potential customers as it moves forward with development. The company is seeking partnerships with data centre operators and other investors "looking towards the future of sustainable digital infrastructure".

Deep Atomic's announcement of the MK60 comes on the heels of several announcements by global tech giants related to nuclear energy.

Microsoft announced in September it had signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation that will see Three Mile Island unit 1 restarted. Google announced last week it had agreed to purchase energy from Kairos Power under a deal that would support the first commercial deployment of its fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature advanced small modular reactors by 2030 and aim for a fleet totalling 500 MW of capacity by 2035. The following day, Amazon announced a series of agreements that will see it taking a stake in advanced nuclear reactor developer X-energy and rolling out its Xe-100 advanced SMR initially at a project in Washington State.

Meanwhile, the head of Japanese cloud-based gaming services provider Ubitus KK has said it is planning to construct a new data centre and is specifically looking at areas with nearby nuclear power plants to provide the required power.