Company focused on US for deployment of Generation III+ MK60
Deep Atomic, a nuclear energy startup specialising in small modular reactors (SMRs) for data centres, has entered the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) pre-application process for design certification of its flagship MK60 SMR.
The company, which has offices in the USJ and Switzerland, said the MK60 is uniquely engineered to deliver 60 MW of electricity alongside 60 MW of cooling capacity, making Deep Atomic the first SMR developer with a fully integrated power-and-cooling solution specifically targeting the data centre industry.
Deep Atomic said engaging with the NRC marks “a pivotal step” towards licensing the MK60 in the US, a market it is prioritising for its initial deployments.
Founder and chief executive officer William Theron said that by engaging early with the NRC, Deep Atomic is demonstrating its commitment to meeting the highest safety standards and expediting the path to deployment.
‘Faster Construction And Streamlined Deployment’
Deep Atomic says the MK60 is a Generation III+ pressurised light water reactor built on decades of proven nuclear technology and enhanced with modern passive safety systems. Its factory-built, modular design allows major components to be manufactured and tested offsite, enabling faster construction and streamlined deployment at data centre locations.
The reactor’s design repurposes low-grade steam and waste heat to deliver up to 60 MW of cooling through innovative integration with cooling systems –enough to support the thermal management needs of a large data centre.
A single MK60 unit can supply a data centre campus with both reliable electricity and cooling, a first-of-its-kind offering in the industry, Deep Atomic said.
Data centres consume a substantial and growing share of the world’s electricity with International Energy Agency estimates ranging between 240 and 340 TWh in 2022. Data centre capacity is expected to double by 2030.
