The Swedish Internet provider Bahnhof wants to supply one of its data centers in Stockholm with a small nuclear reactor in the future.

According to Bahnhof CEO Jon Karlung, the reactor can also provide enough electricity for 30,000 homes in the area. If the project gets the green light, the nuclear reactor could be ready to go online within a few years, reports The Register.

In a news program on Swedish broadcaster SYT Nyheter, Karlung said it could be seen as “provocative” to want to build a nuclear power plant in Stockholm. But in his opinion there are many advantages to building small power plants where necessary.

According to SVT Nyheter, data centers in Sweden currently consume 3 terawatt hours (TWh) per year. It is estimated that data center energy consumption will double to 6 TWh within a few years. If Karlung has his way, small nuclear reactors are the solution to this increasing energy demand.

More and more countries are toying with the idea of ​​using small nuclear power plants

Sweden isn’t the only country toying with the idea of ​​using more nuclear energy. In the US, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently changed the rules and allowed the construction of small nuclear reactors (SMRs).

The engineering firm Rolls-Royce in Great Britain was already looking for sites for the construction of SMRs last year. The company is also looking for a site for a factory to build new reactors.

SMRs are a godsend, but they also have downsides

Analyst firm Omdia published a report last year in which the authors endorsed the use of SMRs to power data centers. The report suggested that facilities with a capacity greater than 100 MW are a good place for SMRs. The report also suggested that smaller data centers could partner with local utilities and other energy-hungry industrial sites to make this a viable option. This fits perfectly with the idea of ​​the station.

According to Omdia, SMRs are significantly smaller than the large nuclear power plants most people are familiar with. As a result, they take a significantly lower risk. The biggest challenge in getting SMRs up and running is convincing people in the industry that they are safe, viable and environmentally friendly, Omdia concludes in its report.

While various parties are excited about using SMRs to power data centers and industrial facilities, the technology also has drawbacks. For example, a research report from Stanford University and the University of British Columbia found that SMRs produce almost 35 times more waste than a traditional nuclear power plant producing the same amount of energy.