Westinghouse Electric Company and Google Cloud have launched a pioneering partnership that brings artificial intelligence into the heart of nuclear reactor construction.
Announced on Tuesday, this collaboration uses AI to autonomously generate and optimize modular work packages for advanced reactors, aiming to simplify what has traditionally been a highly complex and labour intensive process.
At the center of the initiative are Westinghouse’s HiVE and bertha artificial intelligence platforms. The company is also working in tandem with Google Cloud’s technologies such as Vertex AI, Gemini, and BigQuery.
Vertex AI is Google’s tool for developing and deploying machine learning models. Furthermore, Gemini is its latest generative AI model, while BigQuery serves as a scalable, serverless data warehouse for real-time analytics.
Used together, these tools allow engineers to analyze vast amounts of nuclear and engineering data. They also automate essential workflows involved in modular nuclear reactor design and construction. Additionally, this approach has the potential to accelerate the rollout of Westinghouse’s AP1000® reactors, currently the only fully licensed, construction-ready modular reactors on the market.
“By partnering with Google Cloud to enhance our HiVE and bertha technology, and backed by 75 years of our proprietary nuclear data, we can accelerate the deployment of new AP1000 units while implementing powerful AI technologies that will optimize the construction and operations of nuclear power plants,” said Dan Sumner, interim CEO of Westinghouse.
The companies recently completed a successful proof of concept that showcased the potential of this approach. Subsequently, they combined Westinghouse’s WNEXUS digital plant design platform with HiVE AI and Google Cloud tools. The test further demonstrated autonomous generation and optimization of construction packages tailored specifically for AP1000 reactors. The result was a repeatable, streamlined digital workflow designed to eliminate inefficiencies and reduce human error.
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Partnership blends AI expertise with nuclear innovation
Kyle Jessen, Managing Director for Commercial Industries at Google Cloud, noted that the partnership marks a turning point.
“Artificial intelligence is not merely a tool; it can give companies a critical competitive advantage. Westinghouse is demonstrating what’s possible,” Jessen said.
Jessen added that the partnership blends Google Cloud’s AI expertise with Westinghouse’s deep history in nuclear innovation to promote a safer, smarter energy future.
HiVE and bertha are key to this transformation. Launched in September 2024, HiVE is a generative AI system specifically designed for the nuclear sector. It draws on more than seven decades of proprietary data. Bertha is a large language model focused on managing reactor lifecycle tasks. Designers named after Bertha Lamme, Westinghouse’s first female engineer.
These include maintenance planning, inspections, and digital workflow optimization. Together, these tools help deliver more reliable and cost-effective electricity from existing plants and next-generation units like the AP300 small modular reactor and eVinci microreactor.
Additionally, nuclear engineers back the AI models, fine tuning them for operational efficiency and safety. The partnership addresses new builds while seeking to improve performance across Westinghouse’s global fleet of existing nuclear reactors.
Westinghouse’s ownership structure adds strategic depth to the initiative. Cameco Corporation (TSE: CCO) (NYSE: CCJ), a leading uranium producer, and Brookfield Renewable Partners LP (NYSE: BEP) (TSE: BEP-C), a major player in global renewable energy jointly own the company.
While Westinghouse and Google Cloud have not disclosed a specific deployment timeline, the implications are clear. As demand for electricity rises across data centers, electrified transport, and manufacturing, efficient nuclear construction becomes increasingly critical. Therefore, this collaboration may signal a new era for the U.S. nuclear industry, which has seen minimal growth for decades.
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joseph@mugglehead.com
