Small modular reactor (SMR) startup Deep Atomic has announced plans to introduce a new SMR specifically for the data center market.
The SMR, dubbed MK60, is a light water SMR with a generation capacity of 60MW of electricity and 60MW of cooling capacity through an integrated data center centric design.
According to the company, it is suited to the full suite of data center operations, including traditional cloud services, cryptocurrency operations, and AI applications.
“Data centers are the backbone of digital innovation, but their massive energy needs have become the critical bottleneck blocking growth,” says William Theron, CEO of Deep Atomic.
The company claims that its solution will have a wide range of deployment options, including areas with limited grid access and Edge locations near urban areas.
“Our on-site reactors bypass these grid limitations, allowing DCs to be built in optimal locations without straining existing infrastructure. The MK60 provides ‘firm energy’; dispatchable, always-on electricity 24/7, regardless of weather conditions or grid instability – a key consideration for data center operators.” says Deep Atomic’s head of engineering Freddy Mondale.
Unlike many of its competitors who have selected larger reactors, including Kairos and Rolls Royce SMR, MK60 is a much more compact solution. The rationale behind the decision for the company is based on flexibility as it is “large enough to power significant compute infrastructure, yet small enough to allow for modular deployment and scaling,” claims Mondale.
Being smaller will also reduce capital costs associated with larger models, allowing quicker scalability and deployment.
SMRs have received increasing interest from data center operators over 2024, with several hyperscalers signing supply agreements with SMR developers over recent months.
Earlier this month, AWS signed an agreement with Energy Northwest, a consortium of state public utilities, that will enable the development of four advanced SMRs.
Before this, Google signed a corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy from multiple SMRS from Karios Power, with an expected deployment date in 2030.
Colocation giant Equinix has agreed to purchase 500MW in PPAs from fast fission reactor company Oklo, while Prometheus Hyperscale has also agreed to purchase 100MW from the Sam Altman-backed business.
In addition, the DOE has launched applications for $900 million in funding to support the domestic deployment of SMRs, which will support the private sector in establishing a pathway to deploying a fleet of Gen III+ SMRs across the country.