Oklo Upsizes Aurora Reactor to 75MW to Power AI Data Centers
Nuclear and advanced energy firm Oklo has increased the potential output of its Aurora Powerhouse small modular reactor (SMR) from 50 megawatts to 75 megawatts, citing rising power requirements from large-scale data center operators. The updated capacity, revealed in the company’s Q4 update, reflects growing momentum from hyperscalers and AI-focused infrastructure providers seeking resilient and scalable power solutions.
Oklo emphasized that the increase in capacity won’t introduce additional technical, regulatory, or design complexities, with CEO Jacob DeWitte calling the move a “customer-informed design decision.” He added that the 50–75MW output range aligns well with the evolution of data center architecture and energy needs.
Economies of Scale and Improved Fuel Efficiency
Beyond accommodating higher demand, the enhanced 75MW design is expected to deliver greater fuel efficiency and lower deployment costs. By generating more power from each reactor, future customers can reduce the number of units needed to meet demand, translating to cost and operational efficiencies.
Oklo also said the redesign supports broader economies of scale, offering customers a streamlined path to scale up while using fewer SMR deployments for the same energy output.
Also read: Nvidia and EPRI Launch Open Power AI Consortium to Transform the Power Industry
Expanding Data Center Partnerships
The move comes as Oklo continues to deepen its ties with the data center sector. In January 2024, the company signed an MoU with RPower, a prime and backup power provider, to create a phased hybrid model combining natural gas and nuclear power for mission-critical workloads. The phased strategy would allow data centers to gradually integrate SMRs while maintaining reliability.
Oklo has also inked a non-binding Master Power Agreement with US data center operator Switch, aiming to supply up to 12 gigawatts of power through 2044. This deal marked Oklo’s fifth agreement with a data center provider in 2024 alone.
Additional customers include Equinix, which signed a 500MW deal in April 2023 as well as Prometheus Hyperscale(for 100MW), and two undisclosed data center partners totaling up to 750MW in SMR-powered energy.
In total, Oklo now reports a customer pipeline exceeding 14GW, reflecting substantial interest from data center clients aiming to secure long-term, clean baseload energy.
