Supercritical carbon dioxide generators target 1 MW power for data centers by 2027

Data centers and other power-hungry facilities could get a new option for on-site electricity as Elemental Nuclear Energy, an advanced nuclear company, teams up with Sandia National Laboratories to develop supercritical carbon dioxide power systems. The U.S. Department of Energy has approved a Strategic Partnership Project between the two organizations to develop and demonstrate Elemental Nuclear’s supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2)-based Brayton Cycle Generator systems. The technology will initially target a 1-megawatt electric system that can use natural gas and waste heat to generate power and cooling. Elemental plans to use it for small modular data centers and remote military installations. The partnership will later move toward a 10-megawatt-scale system designed to work with multiple heat sources, including the company’s planned ISTR nuclear reactor. That larger system is aimed at data centers, microgrids and industrial sites that need dependable power directly at the point of use. Two scales, one power The sCO2 systems use carbon dioxide in a supercritical state as the working fluid in a closed-loop Brayton cycle. Instead of using steam as the working fluid, the system circulates CO2 under conditions where it has properties of both a liquid and a gas. Sandia brings expertise in closed-loop recompression Brayton cycle technology to the project. The national laboratory also operates a major sCO2 testing facility, giving the partnership a platform to build and evaluate the generator systems at different scales. Elemental says the first 1 MWe system is expected to be operational in 2027. The company is targeting commercial deliveries beginning in 2028, potentially putting the technology on a path toward near-term applications before the larger nuclear-powered version is ready. The approach could be particularly relevant to data centers, where operators are looking for more reliable sources of electricity as computing infrastructure drives demand for high-density power. A behind-the-meter generator could allow such facilities to produce electricity on site rather than relying entirely on the grid. Elemental CEO David Blythe said the partnership is intended to move sCO2 generation beyond laboratory-scale demonstrations and toward commercial deployment. “Approval of this Strategic Partnership Project is a major validation of Elemental’s vision and an important milestone for our company,” said David Blythe, Chief Executive Officer of Elemental Nuclear. “Working alongside Sandia National Laboratories — the world’s foremost authority on Brayton cycle systems — we intend to prove that sCO₂ power generation can be delivered reliably and at commercial scale, as a viable source of on-site power to data centers, industrial operators, and critical installations.” From gas to nuclear The first generator will rely on natural gas and waste heat, but the planned 10 MWe system is designed to accept a wider range of heat sources. That flexibility could allow the same basic power-conversion technology to be paired with different energy systems. One of those sources is Elemental’s ISTR reactor, which the company is developing as an advanced nuclear system. If the larger generator reaches deployment, the sCO2 cycle could provide the power-conversion link between the reactor’s heat and electricity supplied to customers. The company is positioning the systems for behind-the-meter applications, meaning electricity would be generated close to where it is consumed. That could be useful for data centers, industrial facilities, microgrids and defense installations where grid reliability and power availability are critical. Elemental Nuclear Energy Corp. is developing advanced nuclear and sCO2 power-generation technologies, including its Brayton Cycle Generator platform and ISTR reactor. The company is based in Nevada.Recommended ArticlesGet the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.With over a decade-long career in journalism, Neetika Walter has worked with The Economic Times, ANI, and Hindustan Times, covering politics, business, technology, and the clean energy sector. Passionate about contemporary culture, books, poetry, and storytelling, she brings depth and insight to her writing. When she isn’t chasing stories, she’s likely lost in a book or enjoying the company of her dogs.