Can Nuclear Power Fix the Data Centre Power Problem?
By Fay Capstick
Previously we have looked at the huge amounts of energy required to power data centres and at ways they can be made more environmentally friendly. This week we will be investigating another potential option: nuclear power. Or more specifically, Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs). Read on to learn more.
Remind me, what was the problem with data centres?
Data centres need a huge amount of energy to function as the servers need to be kept cool. The energy to do this is typically provided by electricity. We have looked at alternative methods including renewable energy and water cooling, and we have looked at ways of reducing the energy required, such as sinking data centres underwater as a more effective way of keeping the servers cool.
Is the problem getting worse?
Yes!
The trend towards cloud computing has meant that data centres have gotten bigger and need to do more work, thus using more power. The start of the AI Revolution means that they will need to do more processing, a huge amount more, due to the increasing complexity and scale of AI applications and the processing this requires. To give an example, an average traditional data centre would need about 30 megawatts of power supply. An AI data centre would need closer to 80 megawatts. Think about that the next time you ask ChatGPT a question!
What can be done?
At the moment things are being trialled, like the previously discussed underwater data centre (Microsoft). There are also advancements in hardware and cooling systems and better ways of managing renewables, but nothing is a ground-breaking solution.
Where do nuclear reactions come into this?
Nuclear reactors, or more specifically Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) are a possible solution to the problem, particularly when a data centre is more remote. They provide about a third of the power of a full nuclear power plant.
What are SMRs?
Small nuclear reactors are baby versions of the large-scale nuclear reactors that we have all heard of. The kind that people would rather not be in range of their home, just in case.
SMRs are modular, flexible, and scaleable. This gives them huge advantages. Their smaller size means that they are more easy to transport, assemble, and maintain. These smaller, standardized modules can be factory-produced and assembled on-site, bringing cost savings. They can produce power in the range of 20 to 300 megawatts and are designed with a working lifespan of 40 to 60 years.
There are many different designs out there, and all come with different advantages and challenges regarding what they offer and how they can be rolled out.
A huge advantage over traditional data centres is that SMR-powered ones will produce little or no emissions. This is a win for the environment, however, the problem of disposing of the nuclear waste they produce still exists. A further huge advantage is that the power source is constant, which compares with the intermittent nature of solar or wind generation.
One thing to note, the S in SMR is relative. A SMR will still typically need 200,000 square feet of space.
Are they safe?
In theory, yes. SMRs have advanced safety features along with passive cooling systems. Features designed to minimise the risk of any accidents occurring. Whether this will appease public concerns is another issue.
SMRs are similar in technology to nuclear-powered submarines. This means that there is a safety history that can be looked at.
What are the problems with SMRs?
Public: The biggest hurdle might be in winning over public opinion. People will be worried about safety, accidents, and the disposal of waste. All of these worries will be magnified the closer to home a reactor is.
Money: Nuclear reactors of any size are expensive. Therefore a cost analysis would be needed and this would have to be balanced against the advantages or disadvantages to the environment.
Regulations: Everyone worries when the word nuclear is used, and even though it is smaller, this is still a nuclear reactor with all the risks associated with that technology. Using SMRs to power data centres would require jumping regulatory hurdles in each territory. Currently, there are SMR designs being assessed in the US and UK.
Safety: Greenpeace has spoken out in opposition to SMRs due to the risk of accidents.
Environment: Greenpeace also objects to SMRs due to the issue of the radioactive waste that they produce, which is a very valid objection. Currently, nuclear waste is stored in barrels and won’t become safe for thousands of years. Thus we are deferring a problem onto future generations.
Build time: These small nuclear reactors will take longer to build than traditional data centres, and with their higher costs they will be harder to raise funds for.
Could SMRs really be a solution to the data centre power problem?
In theory, yes, though as we have seen there would be big challenges to overcome. A company that builds data centres in the US, Digital Reality, believes that this is the way things are headed.
Further, another US company, Oklo, say they nearly have a design ready which they say is safe and can be manufactured quickly. They envision their SMRs rolling out in the next half-decade. The most telling thing is that the chairman of Oklo since 2015, is Sam Altman, from OpenAI.
The market for SMRs is expected to be $6.8 billion overall by the end of the decade.
Has anyone actually used a SMR to power a data centre yet?
Not as yet.
However, this will change as China is in the process of building one which will be the first in the world. This will be watched with interest.
In the UK, there are plans to spend £20 billion over the next 20 years on SMRs. These reactors would be used to provide over a quarter of our electricity needs. Therefore, with this government support, it seems likely that the UK will be an obvious choice for data centres powered by SMRs.
Anything else?
Yes!
SMRs produce a lot of heat and it has been suggested that the waste heat could be used to produce green hydrogen. This hydrogen could be used for generation backup at the data centres.
What do we think?
We believe that SMRs will soon be used to power data centres around the world. They provide the only logical solution to meet the huge power needs that the AI Revolution will trigger.
The issue of nuclear waste exists, but we do not believe that this will provide a big enough deterrent to their rollout and use. We think that they will likely be initially placed in locations where there are decommissioned full-sized nuclear power plants.
Final thoughts
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