Amazon has announced a strategic partnership with nuclear technology company X-Energy, power provider Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation (KHNP), and energy solutions provider Doosan Enerbility. This initiative aims to scale the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors to meet the growing power demands from data centres and AI infrastructure in the United States.
This partnership builds on a previous collaboration between Amazon and X-Energy, which aims to bring over 5 GW of small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) projects online across the U.S. by 2039. Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund led a $700 million financing round for X-Energy to support the commercialisation of its SMR technology.
X-Energy, founded in 2009 and based in Rockville, Maryland, develops nuclear reactor and fuel technology. Its TRISO-X fuel encapsulates uranium particles in a protective coating, making it resistant to high temperatures and reducing the need for large containment facilities. The company’s Xe-100 SMR is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that operates at temperatures above 750°C. It utilises over 200,000 TRISO-X-based fuel pebbles in continuous rotation, allowing uninterrupted operation for 60 years. Helium circulates through the core, absorbing heat, which is then used to generate steam to turn turbines and produce carbon-free energy.
The partnership aims to accelerate the deployment of Xe-100 fourth-generation advanced SMRs and TRISO-X fuel in the U.S. KHNP, Doosan, and other Korean industrial partners have committed to supporting the deployment of over 5 GW of new nuclear energy. Doosan will provide the necessary manufacturing capabilities for the Xe-100 modules, while KHNP brings its extensive experience in constructing and operating nuclear power plants.
The companies plan to mobilise up to $50 billion in public and private investment to support the future of nuclear energy in the U.S. X-Energy CEO J. Clay Sell highlighted the collaboration’s importance, stating that it combines proven nuclear leadership and advanced technology to address significant energy challenges. He emphasised the critical nature of U.S.-South Korea collaboration in maintaining American leadership in AI and nuclear development.
This partnership is part of Amazon’s broader nuclear energy initiative, as the company seeks to diversify its energy sources beyond renewables. In 2019, Amazon pledged to match its global operations’ electricity consumption with 100% renewable energy by 2030. Having achieved this goal seven years ahead of schedule, Amazon acknowledges the need for alternative carbon-free energy sources due to the rising demand for generative AI. The company has invested over $1 billion in nuclear energy projects in the past year.
Vibhu Kaushik, AWS Head of Worldwide Energy, noted the critical role of data centres in supporting AI leadership and their increasing power needs. He expressed enthusiasm for the partnership’s potential to enable over five gigawatts of new nuclear energy in the U.S., advancing innovative carbon-free solutions to meet growing energy demands.
