Universities and China test nuclear reactors to power AI data centers amid soaring energy demands

Ambitious Experiment Aims to Test Tiny Nuclear Reactors for AI Data Centers

As if the U.S. grids weren’t stressed enough, AI data centers threaten to overwhelm them further with their massive energy demands. To address these challenges, researchers in Utah are entertaining the viability of microreactorsâ€"smaller, often portable fission reactorsâ€"for powering AI data centers with high energy demands. For now, the project is at a proof-of-concept stage. This summer, the University of Utah in collaboration with energy company Elemental Nuclear will repurpose its TRIGA nuclear reactor to power a mini AI data center. According to an institutional statement on the initiative, a novel power generator attached to the university’s reactor will capture thermal energy to generate around 2 to 3 kilowatts of electricity to power a live AI workload. Strictly speaking, this is far less than the hundreds of megawatts of energy full-scale data centers require. However, the team anticipates that the demonstration will illuminate whether smaller reactorsâ€"such as nuclear reactors used for academic researchâ€"can generate electricity for AI operations. “This will be, to our knowledge, the first time any university reactor has produced electricity, not just our own,†reactor manager Ted Goodell said in the release. “It’s a milestone for our students, but it also shows that small, safe reactors could live at data centers, rather than in labs.†TRIGA reactors are nuclear fission reactors built specifically for academic research and were designed and developed by General Atomics. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, research reactors are meant for scientific investigations, development, education, and training. As a result, these instruments are “basically neutron factories†and take on much smaller sizes, according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA). That said, research reactors are not quite the same as microreactors, which are smaller but fully functional with regard to energy production. Of course, microreactors produce less energy compared to full-sized plants, but the goal of microreactors is to be a portable and reliable energy source for remote locations or military bases. But stakeholders still have much to work out before microreactors can be deployed at commercial scales. As a proof of concept, the upcoming experiment leverages the characteristics of research reactors to test how and whether nuclear energy generation for AI can be simplified. The power generator developed by Elemental Nuclear captures thermal energy from the TRIGA reactor. Normally, this heat is dissipated by cooling systems, but the new system instead converts it into electricity. The electrical output produced in the process will then support a high-performance GPU node executing a live AI workload managed by the university’s computational experts. Compared to real-life scales of both reactors and data centers, the project’s scales are of a modest size. But if the team can pull this off, it would give them more confidence in future projects to design and deploy actual microreactors for data centers. “This project is intended to demonstrate a powerful principle,†said Elemental Nuclear founder Mike Luther. “The energy produced through nuclear fission can ultimately power the computational systems driving artificial intelligence.†Again, it'll be a while until microreactors come to electrical grids. Even then, stakeholders will continue to ponder the pros and cons of microreactors. Needless to say, the AI industry also has a lot to reckon with. The project might not end up finding a perfect answer for either, but it's a meaningful venture that could alleviate some impending problems, even if it's by a small amount.

'A power bank for the AI era': China begins testing miniature, truck-mounted 10MW nuclear reactor designed to sustain massive data centers for decades without refueling while promising to make traditional dirty coal and diesel generators entirely obsolete

The reactor can be transported to areas where power is unavailable or unreliable * China testing mobile nuclear reactor capable of powering AI data centers * Prototype truck-mounted reactor built for decades of operation without refueling * Portable 10MW nuclear unit targets remote power supply and AI workloads China is testing a nuclear reactor small enough to ride on a truck, a project that scientists say could help solve the rising electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence systems. The South China Morning Post reports the reactor is the world's first 10MW vehicle-mounted nuclear power unit, developed over several years and now moving toward real-world use. The output is enough to power a medium-sized AI data center, where uninterrupted electricity is essential. Servicing unavailable or unreliable grid areas Wu Yican, chief scientific adviser to the Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology at the Hefei Institute of Physical Science, told Science and Technology Daily, "The 'nuclear power bank' we proposed exemplifies the new generation of nuclear energy systems. This technology offers exceptional safety in a remarkably compact size and an operational lifespan of decades without recharging." Mobility is central to the concept, since the reactor can be transported by truck to areas where traditional grid connections are unavailable or unreliable. "It offers a solution to 'battery anxiety' in different applications, including providing power for remote regions and islands, delivering emergency backup power in special environments, propelling ships, powering space systems and supporting AI computing and data centers," Wu said. He explained next-generation nuclear systems should be built around safety and adaptability. "They should be approachable, flexible and intelligent, enabling them to meet the future's diverse energy needs," Wu said. Interest in portable nuclear systems is increasing as AI computing continues expanding, pushing power requirements far beyond what many existing grids were built to handle. SCMP says China currently operates 59 commercial nuclear units producing 467.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, accounting for 4.82 percent of national demand and placing it second globally behind the United States. Tech companies have been moving toward nuclear power as data center electricity demand keeps climbing. Amazon plans to develop 12 small modular nuclear reactors with nearly 1GW of combined output, while Google is building a small reactor in Tennessee to supply its facilities. Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft have all joined the World Nuclear Association. Microsoft has also pushed into legacy infrastructure, with involvement in restarting the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, while smaller systems such as Westinghouse's eVinci microreactor are being developed to deliver about 5MW for up to 100 months without refueling. Wu also discussed nuclear technology beyond power generation, noting its growing role in medicine where radioactive molecules are used to evaluate bodily functions and diagnose and treat diseases including cancer. More than 5 million people in China are diagnosed with cancer each year, which adds pressure to expand medical tools that rely on nuclear research and production capacity. "If nuclear technology could help improve treatments it could bring immeasurable social and economic value," Wu said. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.