Strategic Partnership Between Idaho National Laboratory and AWS
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has entered into a significant collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to harness the power of artificial intelligence in advancing nuclear energy technology. This partnership aims to leverage AWS’s cloud computing infrastructure and AI tools to support INL’s research on next-generation nuclear reactors.
The primary objective of this collaboration is to develop technologies that can significantly reduce the cost and time required for designing, licensing, building, and operating nuclear facilities. In the long term, the goal is to enable safe and reliable autonomous operation of advanced reactors, which could accelerate their deployment across the country.
“INL is committed to accelerating nuclear energy deployment, advancing autonomous nuclear operations, and leading nuclear energy science through transformational AI technology — achieved with AWS and the nuclear energy industry,” said Chris Ritter, division director of Scientific Computing and AI at INL.
Utilizing AWS’s Advanced Computing Power
Under the agreement, INL will utilize AWS’s advanced computing power, AI foundation models through Amazon Bedrock, and specialized hardware. These resources are expected to enhance the capabilities of INL researchers in developing innovative applications for nuclear energy.
“Through this collaboration with AWS, we have access to AI models, GPUs (graphical processing units), and specialized cloud services, including Amazon’s Bedrock service, which will enable INL researchers to use many leading foundation models to build nuclear energy applications,” added Ritter.
John Wagner, INL Director, emphasized that the partnership is a key step toward achieving the nation’s energy goals. “By leveraging AWS’s cutting-edge cloud computing and AI solutions, we can accelerate nuclear energy deployment for America,” he stated.
From an industry perspective, AWS views this technology as a way to improve reactor safety and efficiency. “AWS’s powerful AI and computing technology will support Idaho National Laboratory’s development of autonomous nuclear reactors to pioneer a future where civilian nuclear operations are safer, smarter, and more responsive,” said David Appel, vice president for AWS.
Creation of a Digital Twin
A key initial project under this partnership will be the creation of a digital twin for a small modular reactor (SMR). A digital twin is a virtual model of a physical asset that uses near real-time data to run complex simulations. This initiative is an important step toward using AI for autonomous control systems.
“INL will use AWS Compute and AI tools to develop a digital twin of a small modular reactor — nuclear reactors that range in size from 20 to 300 megawatts of electricity,” INL explained in a press release.
This effort is part of a larger INL strategy to create an ecosystem where government laboratories, AI firms, and nuclear developers can collaborate. One potential future application for these advanced autonomous reactors is to provide clean, reliable power for large-scale data centers.
Using AI for Nuclear Energy
There is a growing trend of using AI to boost nuclear energy efforts. In a recent event, The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with AI company Atomic Canyon to refine the licensing process for nuclear power plants. It aims to use high-performance computing to create simulations that will ensure the safety of designs while accelerating the licensing process with AI.
“With new capabilities enabled by AI and partners like Atomic Canyon, we can help the nuclear industry unleash American energy,” remarked ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer. This trend highlights the increasing role of AI in transforming the nuclear energy sector, making it more efficient, safe, and sustainable.