Amazon unveils plans for its first nuclear power plant in Washington
Amazon has released the first images of its planned nuclear facility in Washington. The “Cascade Advanced Energy Facility” is intended to generate up to 960 megawatts of electricity with twelve small modular reactors. And this is what the new nuclear power plant should look like.
Amazon relies on nuclear power for data centers
Amazon has detailed plans for its first nuclear power plant presented. The Cascade Advanced Energy Facility in Washington State is intended to use small modular reactors (SMR) to meet the increasing energy needs of data centers and AI applications.
The project marks a significant step by the technology group towards carbon-free energy supply. The online retailer is working on this as is well known with the regional energy supplier Energy Northwest and the SMR developer X-energy. The planned plant would be located outside Richland near the existing Columbia Generating Station and include up to twelve reactors.
Compact design in a small area
The modular structure of the Cascade plant differs significantly from conventional nuclear power plants. While traditional systems often require more than a square mile, the twelve SMR units are designed to fit in just a few city blocks.
The total capacity of 960 megawatts is achieved through three sections of 320 megawatts each. Initially, Amazon plans to build four reactor units with an output of 320 megawatts. This first phase can later be expanded to the full capacity of twelve units. The compact design of SMR technology allows for gradual expansion depending on energy requirements.
Million-dollar investment in new technology
Amazon is leading a funding round of approximately $500 million for X-energy. This Series C-1 investment is intended to advance the development and deployment of SMR technology. The company plans to work with X-energy to realize more than five gigawatts of new nuclear energy projects in the USA by 2039.
Columbia Basin College in Pasco received funding from the Department of Energy for an Energy Learning Center. The facility includes a simulator that replicates the control room of X-energy’s Xe-100 reactor and is used to train specialists.
Schedule and jobs
Construction is scheduled to begin at the end of this decade, with commissioning expected to take place in the 2030s. The project is expected to create over 1,000 jobs during the construction phase and more than 100 permanent positions.
This is not for the faint of heart. It’s a difficult thing – adopting new technology like this and bringing it to market. Ben Reinke, X-energy
The SMR technology is still in the development phase and must first prove its commercial viability. Amazon joins a growing list of technology companies that rely on nuclear energy. Google and Microsoft have also announced investments in nuclear energy projects to meet the increasing power needs of their data centers.
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