Wedoany.com Report-Apr. 19, Aalo Atomics, a U.S.-based company, has introduced the Aalo Pod, a 50 MWe extra modular reactor (XMR) designed to deliver scalable, on-site power for modern data centers. The announcement highlights a solution tailored to meet the growing energy demands of data facilities.

Data centers face significant challenges, including rapid expansion, strict reliability needs, limited siting options, and ambitious sustainability targets. Aalo noted that conventional power sources often fall short. Grid constraints, the intermittent nature of solar and wind, geographical limits of geothermal and hydro, and environmental concerns with fossil fuels pose obstacles. Nuclear power offers reliable, low-carbon energy but has limitations. Large nuclear plants are complex and slow to deploy, while small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors may not fully suit data center requirements. Aalo stated: “The ideal data centre solution requires better power density, siting, scaling, and speed.”

To address these needs, Aalo developed the XMR, a new reactor category combining the factory-built efficiency of microreactors, the output of SMRs, and the cost-effectiveness of larger plants. The company explained: “We believe that for today’s massive data centre market demand, another category is needed that blends the benefit of the factory manufacturing of microreactors, the power levels of SMRs, and the economic targets of a large reactor.” The Aalo Pod is described as highly modular, scalable, and adaptable for both data centers and broader markets.

Key features of the Aalo Pod include its ability to scale from 50 MW to gigawatt levels, occupying less than five acres for 100 MW. It achieves 98% reliability, with configurations reaching up to 99.999% uptime using multiple pods. Each pod consists of five Aalo-1 reactors paired with one turbine, designed for continuous operation even during maintenance or refueling. The system uses common materials and fuel, supporting a straightforward supply chain and cost efficiency.

The Aalo Pod’s flexible siting suits data centers by requiring minimal land and no nearby water sources. Its compact emergency planning zone and compatibility with existing electrical equipment enhance deployment options. Aalo projects delivering power within 12 months of an order, with additional pods deployable in just a few months. The pods support independent, grid-parallel, or hybrid operations, offering data centers autonomy or integration with local utilities.

In December 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy-Idaho Operations Office approved Aalo to pursue authorization for the Aalo-X experimental reactor at Idaho National Laboratory. This step aims to validate the Aalo-1, a 10 MW sodium-cooled microreactor using uranium zirconium hydride fuel, for future commercial use. In May 2024, Aalo completed the Aalo-1’s conceptual design, advancing its efforts to provide reliable, sustainable energy for data centers.