Data centers have already become a driver of energy demand. Rystad Energy reports that the demand for electricity from data centers has risen by nearly 80% in the United States, going from 73 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2018 to 130 TWh in 2023, and is expected to reach 141 TWh by the end of 2024. As a point of comparison, power consumption in Kazakhstan reached 112 TWh in 2023, according to Ember. A similar trend is observed in Europe, where McKinsey expects power consumption in the data center segment to more than double by 2030, reaching 150 TWh.
Due to their continuous operation, data centers require power around the clock, and nuclear reactors are the only low-carbon energy source that meets this requirement. This is why in the coming years data center operators could place large orders for the construction of small modular reactors, in which all components, including the steam generator and heat pumps, are combined into a single vessel. This solution eliminates the risk of accidents caused by pipe ruptures and makes it possible for the reactor to be fully assembled before being transported to the operating site. As a rule, small reactors are equipped with passive safety systems that can shut them down without the need for an external power source.
The emergence of a new market niche could cause the popularity of small nuclear power plants (SNPPs) to skyrocket. The world’s first SNPP was the floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) Akademik Lomonosov, which had its two reactors put into operation in 2020 in the port of Pevek, Chukotka Autonomous District. As for the world’s first land-based SNPP, it will be launched in China in 2026. The LingLong One project, which is being implemented in southern China’s Hainan Province, will be equipped with a 125 MW reactor generating 1 TWh of electricity per year for more than 500,000 households. Another in-progress project is the construction of an SNPP in Yakutia, where a 55 MW reactor will be launched in 2028 to supply the Kyuchus gold deposit and the settlement of Ust-Kuyga.
