Category: Electric Power Research

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The AI Race Is Causing the Rising Demand for Nuclear Reactor Power Plants

From InterestingEngineering.com: Atharva Gosavi

Nuclear-Pwr-Plant
InterestingEngineering.com: Four-reactor project at Seadrift in Texas (X-energy)

The AI race is causing a rising demand for nuclear power plants. “By 2030, U.S. data centers could consume anywhere between 214 TWh to 675 TWh annually – a 2.6x increase compared to 2023 consumption. Due to intermittency, transmission limitations, and carbon constraints, renewable and fossil fuels fall massively short of fulfilling these demands.

Amazon just announced a partnership with X-energy, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), and Doosan Enerbility to build advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) in the United States. The partnership aims to accelerate their deployment to meet data centers and AI’s growing power demands. The partnership will deploy X-energy’s Xe-100 SMRs, coupled with TRISO-X fuel – a high-assurance form widely considered one of the safest in the nuclear sector.”

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Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Demand Expected to Grow Exponentially within the next 10-Years

From EnergyNews.pro

EnergyNews-SMR-Demand
Image: EnergyNews

The small modular reactor (SMR) global demand is expected to grow exponentially over the next 10-years, “according to a report published by Guidehouse Research. Revenues generated by this technology are projected to increase from $375.8 million in 2025 to $8.1 billion in 2034, while annual installed capacity would reach 1,224 megawatts.

Worldwide, around 30 gigawatts of SMR projects are identified at different stages of development, from design to construction. Guidehouse Research points to nearly 60 developers active in this field, some relying on proven nuclear technologies, others seeking to deploy advanced reactors to broaden the range of applications.”

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How AI Is Being Used by Power Utilities to Benefit End Users?

Renewable Energy World.com by Jeremiah Karpowicz:

DTech-Midwest-Conference-AI
Image: Renewable Energy World.com, DTECH Midwest Panel Discussion, “AI Use Cases at the Grid Edge”, Moderator: Fei Ding, NREL

At the DistribuTECH (DTECH) Midwest Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, major discussions have taken place on how AI is used to benefit end users. A panel discussion comprised of power utility and electric cooperatives, led by “Fie Ding from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the panel benefited from her work at NREL, which is connected to developing advanced models and controls for managing grid-edge resources.

These models go far beyond traditional meter data, fundamentally altering how utilities use information in a way that will redefine what customers see and expect in their monthly billing statements.”

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Large Engineering Firm Completes a Renewable Break-Through Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Study for the UK

PowerMag.com by Darrell Proctor:

PowerMag-B&V-Green-Hydrogen
Image: PowerMag.com (Darrell Proctor) & Black & Veatch

One of the leading engineering firms and “infrastructure developer, Black & Veatch, announced the company has completed execution of a front-end engineering design (FEED) study for the Whitelee Green Hydrogen Project near Glasgow, Scotland. Whitelee is a proposed development by owner ScottishPower Energy Retail Limited. The contract was awarded to Black & Veatch in October 2024.

The project will produce green hydrogen, which is produced using electricity from renewable sources, such as wind, and converting it using an electrolyser, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis.”

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TVA Submitted the Nation’s First Construction Permit Application to the NRC for a new Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Plant

TVA.com: Scott Fiedler

TVA-Clinch-River-GE-SMR
Image: TVA.com Clinch River, GE SMR

TVA announced it was “the first utility in the U.S. to submit a construction permit application (CPA) for the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) small modular reactor (SMR) BWRX-300 technology to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – the agency that issues licenses for constructing, operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants.

This CPA is TVA’s next step in pursuing an SMR at its Clinch River site, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and establishing America’s energy dominance to power artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced manufacturing.

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Using AI Technologies for Power System Asset Management

EngineerLive.com

AI-Power-Asset-Management
Image: EngineerLive.com

What new roles will AI play in the future for aiding power utility companies with power delivery asset management techniques? “Utilities face significant challenges with aging infrastructure, extreme weather, rising operational costs and increased demands for reliability. AI offers a promising solution to all of these issues.

Recent advances show how AI can revolutionize asset management for power utilities. Automated systems can now accurately identify and assess components on utility poles, streamline inspections and minimize human error. These systems not only detect defects with high precision but also enhance maintenance efficiency, reduce downtime, and extend the lifespan of critical assets.”

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