In the 1950s, the United States began detonating nuclear bombs underground to limit both the radiological and sociopolitical fallout through underground testing. The hundreds of rocks formed a neat barrier as the nations continued to bombard the subsurface.
Now, A nuclear startup wants to bury a small reactor underground, using the depth for the tons of concrete needed to protect above-ground reactors. the company, Deep FissionIt signed a deal with data center developer Endeavor on Tuesday to build 2 gigawatts worth of underground nuclear power.
As part of the agreement, Endeavor declined to disclose terms from Deep Fission when contacted by TechCrunch. Endeavor invested in the startup. The company raised $4 million last August.
Nuclear startups are having a moment, fueled in part by the growing energy demand of datacenters that do compute-intensive tasks for AI applications. It's on Google. Paired with Kairos. There is Amazon for 500 megawatts worth of reactors. Turn on X-Energy. It is worth around 300 MW. Data center operator Switch has signed an agreement. With Oklo backed by Sam Altman 12 gigawatts of electricity; Meanwhile, Nuclear inventors are invited. To submit proposals.
Most nuclear startups specialize in designing small, modular reactors that promise cost savings through mass production techniques. Their small footprints are also attractive to developers looking to maximize the number of servers on their properties.
Deep Fission's reactors are 30 inches; It will be lowered on cables down a mile-deep pit. Reactors are pressurized-water designs, a common approach used in everything from nuclear submarines to large power plants. A steam generator attached to the reactor will convert the heat into steam, which will be transported to the surface through pipes the length of the borehole. Any maintenance would require pulling the reactor to the surface, which would “only take an hour or two,” the company said. Deep Fission is targeting between five and seven cents per kilowatt hour, less than half that. Lazard predicted. New nuclear power costs America today.
The deal, if completed, is the latest in a series of deals that would lead to a renaissance in nuclear power if US Deep Fission's plan to convert its first reactor by 2029 falls in line with other companies' plans.
Like most of its peers, Deep Fission has yet to receive a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The initiation work began in March. While it previously took years to get approval, the new law sets an 18-month timeline for the NRC to give small modular reactors the thumbs-down. So far, Kairos is the only company. Successfully passed. process.