Deep Fission, an advanced nuclear energy company, has signed Letters of Intent (LOI) with data centers, co-developers, industrial parks, and strategic partners, totaling 12.5GW of potential capacity.

The LOIs outline plans to explore commercial deployment of its small modular reactor (SMR) systems. The data centers with which it signed LOIs were not disclosed.

Letters of intent are generally not legally binding.

“The world is transforming before our eyes, and there is a race to secure the energy needed to fuel the robust growth in AI and data centers,” said Liz Muller, co-founder and CEO. “It’s inspiring to see the swift embrace of Deep Fission’s technology. We’re proud to partner with industry leaders as we seek to deliver safe, cost-effective, and rapidly deployable power that meets today’s demand while building a more resilient future.”

In January, the company partnered with Endeavour Energy to co-develop 2GW of nuclear energy to supply Endeavour's global portfolio of data centers, which operate under the Endeavour Edged brand. The first reactors are expected to be operational by 2029.

Deep Fission is pioneering a “mile deep” SMR system known as the Deep Fission Borehole Reactor 1 (DFBR-1). The DFBR-1 is a pressurized water reactor (PWR) that produces 15MWt (thermal) and 5MWe (electric) and has an estimated fuel cycle of between ten to 20 years.

It is designed to be placed in a 30-inch borehole, using deep geology to provide pressurization and containment, which, according to the company, will increase security and lower costs.

The reactor can be placed up to one mile deep, where its hydrostatic pressure is similar to the pressure found in standard PWRs. As a result, DFBR-1 will not have thick-walled pressurization vessels.

The company claims that nuclear containment is achieved through geology and that even if fully spent fuel is released, there will be no significant radioactive danger to the public or contamination of aquifers.

The reactor is designed to be retrieved by permanently attached cables. According to Deep Fission, it can be replaced by a new reactor in a nearby borehole or the same borehole at a slightly shallower depth.

The company is based out of Berkeley, California, and was founded in 2023. Last August, it announced a $4 million pre-seed funding round to accelerate efforts in hiring, regulatory approval, and the commercialization of its SMR.

This August, it was selected as one of 11 advanced nuclear reactor projects to join the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program. As part of the program, the DOE will support the projects to construct, operate, and achieve criticality of at least three test reactors using the DOE authorization process by July 4, 2026.

Data center companies are increasingly signing agreements with SMR developers. Over the past year, Amazon, Google, Data4, Oracle, Switch, and Equinix have all signed long term deals with SMR firms.