Idaho National Laboratory and Amazon Web Services Partner to Advance Autonomous Nuclear Reactor Technology
Idaho National Lab partners with Amazon's cloud services to construct self-governing nuclear power plants
The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have joined forces to accelerate the development of autonomous nuclear reactors. This collaboration aims to integrate advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into nuclear energy research and development initiatives, ultimately leading to safer, smarter, and more responsive nuclear energy systems for sustainable power.
The partnership will leverage AWS's cloud computing infrastructure and advanced AI tools to co-develop AI-driven solutions that reduce costs and accelerate the design, licensing, building, and operation of nuclear reactors. A key aspect of the collaboration is the creation of digital twin models of small modular reactors, which will help understand and simulate their functions, enabling safe, reliable autonomous operation of these reactors.
INL will utilise AWS services such as Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker, which provide foundation models and managed AI tools. This will enable INL scientists and engineers to build, customise, and deploy AI applications relevant to nuclear reactor technology. The collaboration also aims to create a collaborative ecosystem by linking DOE laboratories, AI technology companies, and nuclear energy developers to enable nuclear energy AI at scale, improving responsiveness and safety in civilian nuclear operations.
The virtual replicas of modular reactors will be trained on real-time data to support modeling, simulation, and eventually, safe autonomous operations of reactors ranging from 20 to 300 megawatts. The goal is to power AI-powered nuclear reactors that are faster to build, safer to operate, and smarter in design.
John Wagner, INL Director, stated that the partnership signifies a significant leap forward in integrating advanced AI technologies into nuclear energy research and development initiatives. This collaboration supports INL’s strategic goal to pioneer safer, smarter, and more responsive nuclear energy systems for sustainable power, including for powering data centers that require reliable and scalable energy sources.
The partnership comes close on the heels of a similar collaboration between Westinghouse and Google Cloud. The push continues as the U.S. accelerates efforts to modernize its nuclear energy infrastructure as part of a broader push to support AI-driven power demand. In May 2022, President Biden signed a set of executive orders to streamline reactor permitting, expand domestic nuclear fuel production, and speed up licensing for advanced nuclear technologies.
References:
- INL and AWS Partner to Develop AI Tools for Autonomous Nuclear Systems
- Amazon Web Services to Help Idaho National Laboratory Develop AI for Nuclear Reactors
- Idaho National Laboratory and Amazon Web Services to Develop AI Tools for Nuclear Reactors
- Idaho National Lab Partners with Amazon to Develop AI for Nuclear Reactors
- Idaho National Laboratory and Amazon Web Services Collaborate on AI for Nuclear Energy
- This collaboration between the Idaho National Laboratory and Amazon Web Services fosters the integration of cutting-edge AI technologies into nuclear energy research, aiming to introduce safer, smarter, and more responsive nuclear energy systems through the use of technology.
- The partnership leverages Amazon's cloud computing infrastructure and AI tools to co-develop AI-driven solutions, reducing costs and expediting the design, licensing, building, and operation of nuclear reactors, thereby impacting the finance and energy industries.
- The joint effort will result in digital twin models of small modular reactors, powered by AI, with the goal of advancing innovation in the nuclear industry by enabling safe, reliable autonomous operation.
