Rolls-royce Share Discussion Threads

[eeza] 16/10/2024 18:02

Amazon has become the latest tech giant to embrace mini-nuclear reactors as the online retailer seeks to power a growing fleet of electric trucks and data centres.

The American group, founded by Jeff Bezos, said on Wednesday it had led a $500m (£380m) funding round in small modular reactor (SMR) technology being developed by Maryland-based X-energy.

It is also backing two SMR projects in the states of Virginia and Washington.

In a promotional video, Amazon said the power generated from SMRs could be used to “meet the power needs for a growing global economy, and new needs like the electrification of the vehicle fleet and the power needs of artificial intelligence”.

The deal comes after Google agreed to buy the world’s first private mini-nuclear reactors and Microsoft struck an agreement to restart a mothballed reactor in Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.

Amazon made the investment alongside Ken Griffin, the billionaire founder of the US hedge fund Citadel, the University of Michigan and US investment fund Ares Management, which has invested in Chelsea Football Club.

It has also agreed to support X-energy’s first project to build a 320-megawatt SMR for a consortium of utility providers in Washington, along with more than five gigawatts of further schemes across the US by 2039 should that prove a success.

In Virginia, Amazon said it had an agreement with Dominion Energy, the utility company, to look at building a 300-megawatt SMR.

Dominion has invited technology providers to bid for the scheme.

The scramble to back new nuclear power projects comes as the power-hungry tech industry searches for carbon-free, stable electricity to feed a growing array of data centres as well as electric vehicles.

‘Safe source of carbon-free energy’
Matt Garman, the chief executive of Amazon Web Services, said: “Nuclear is a safe source of carbon-free energy that can help power our operations and meet the growing demands of our customers, while helping us progress toward our commitment to be net-zero carbon across our operations by 2040.

“One of the fastest ways to address climate change is by transitioning our society to carbon-free energy sources, and nuclear energy is both carbon-free and able to scale, which is why it’s an important area of investment for Amazon.

“Our agreements will encourage the construction of new nuclear technologies that will generate energy for decades to come.”

The coming rise in data centre capacity is expected to push US electricity demand 15pc to 20pc higher over the next decade, according to the federal government.

Data centres, which are used for data storage and artificial intelligence software, are expected to account for 9pc of electricity generation annually by the end of the decade, up from 4pc last year.

Amazon, which spans internet shopping, e-books publishing, data storage, video streaming and bricks and mortar retail, has pledged to cater for all of its electricity needs with clean power by 2030.

SMRs are seen as a potential breakthrough in nuclear technology because they could be built quicker and cheaper than traditional, large reactors. The “modules” used to construct them would be mass-produced in factories, transported to sites and then clicked together.

Clay Sell, the chief executive of X-energy, said on Wednesday: “To fully realise the opportunities available through artificial intelligence, we must bring clean, safe, and reliable electrons onto the grid with proven technologies that can scale and grow with demand.

“We deeply appreciate our earliest funders and collaborators, notably the US Department of Energy and Dow Inc.

“With Amazon, Ken Griffin, and our other strategic investors, we are now uniquely suited to deliver on this transformative vision for the future of energy and tech.”

[sdt7618] 16/10/2024 17:59

First one to be dismantled not dumped.

[thegrafter] 16/10/2024 16:43

Amazon has now signed up to SMR's to today : https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/1g4ys3l/amazon_signs_agreements_for_innovative_nuclear/

[thegrafter] 16/10/2024 16:36

RYCEY is currently trading at 5.65 uk equivalent so looking good for tomorrow again if it holds !

[thegrafter] 16/10/2024 14:56

MC tbh after the Czech Republic deal I would have thought we would be around where we are now , add to that we might be debt free after the disposal of the naval propulsion division sale and also now the SMR market is really gaining momentum, it's all looking very good for RR :-)

[mcunliffe1] 16/10/2024 14:11

Aren't we all smurfy. However, I'd gladly take an SMR win from Czech Rep., Sweden and Netherlands even if such meant we are ditched from the UK race.

Bird in the hand and all that.

Last night I checked my SIPP and the value (after the auction) of the investment element 'gain' was £7603. On 1st Oct it was £10,530. Six market days of steady decline until today.

Now, that 'gain' is £10,905.

What makes today a special day? Anybody have any thoughts?

[smurfy2001] 16/10/2024 12:56

Wow. Still holding and hoping for UK SMR win.

[tygarreg] 16/10/2024 12:52

Well and truly broken through 550 now!

[lorse] 16/10/2024 10:09

ForeverBull - or the Wetherspoons board.

I come to this thread to learn something. Thank you for the vast majority of contributions.

[mcunliffe1] 16/10/2024 08:58

Ta Skinny. Tested a sell of 100 and about £164. Tested a buy of 100 and a bit more due to s.d. and commiss.

Looks like the i.i. service having a wobble when I enquire upon ABDN.

[skinny] 16/10/2024 08:29

Check ABDN again :-)

[mcunliffe1] 16/10/2024 08:28

Sometimes, just sometimes mind, out of the banter comes an occasion nugget.

Filter away, telling us is less interesting than most of the banter.

I'm able quite easily to shift from banter to detail should we be in receipt of anything significant. For the next two weeks there'll be rumour, fear, uncertainty and a languishing market. Today seems more lively than the past seven trading days but some odd things are evident. For example, the spread on ABDN is the widest I've seen in a long time. 154p sell 165p buy.

Why?

LGEN and PHNX are not so spread. I hold all three as well as RR of course.

[bigbigdave] 16/10/2024 08:17

Filter button in use this morning.

[mcunliffe1] 16/10/2024 08:13

Commercial Amish or military?

[amishp67] 16/10/2024 07:58

As a pilot, I'm very bullish with this stock..and more so recently

[mcunliffe1] 16/10/2024 07:49

Interestingly, Israel have indicated they will not attack Iranian oil/gas or nuclear sites. This has eased the price of oil, Brent heading down towards $74 from a high of about $80 a week ago.

This has pushed up the airline SP's in the hope if lower fuel costs.

I just hope Iran doesn't decide to blow-up one of its own (old maybe?) refineries to curry support against Israel and to push up the price of crude.

[foreverbull] 16/10/2024 06:46

Agreed ...please let's not make this like the RR board.TIA

[skinny] 16/10/2024 05:53

Please keep it civil.