Amazon has shared new details about its nuclear power development plans in Washington state, USA, where the company's headquarters are located, UNN reports with reference to The Verge.
Details
About a year ago, Amazon announced an agreement with Energy Northwest, a consortium of Washington state utilities, to support the construction of up to 12 advanced reactors by the early 2030s. Once completed, Amazon will have the right to purchase electricity from the first phase of the 320-megawatt project. Additional capacity will be available to Amazon and local utilities.
The distinguishing feature of these reactors is that they are small and modular, which is expected to make them cheaper and easier to deploy than America's existing nuclear power plants.
Now Amazon has released several images showing what the first power plant in the Richland area of Washington state might look like. The project, called the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, will include three sections with a total capacity of 960 megawatts, roughly enough to power 770,000 homes in the US. According to Amazon, an old-style reactor of roughly the same capacity could occupy more than a square mile (259 hectares), while Cascade is expected to occupy only a few city blocks.
Given that these next-generation reactors are still under development and need to go through the licensing process, construction is not expected to begin until the end of the decade, the publication writes.
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