Latest News

Equinix signs multiple advanced nuclear power deals with data centers

The company announced on Thursday that it has signed several deals for advanced nuclear energy, including power purchase agreement for fission and microreactors pre-ordered for its operations.

The race by Big Tech to develop technologies such as generative artificial intelligence that require warehouse-like data centres and can use city-sized quantities of electricity on a single location is increasing global energy consumption, raising concerns about depleted supplies.

Data centers have a voracious appetite for energy, which has prompted a growing number of power deals that will fuel them with advanced nuclear technology.

The United States, which is the hub of the world's largest data centers, does not have commercially available small modular reactors or other next-generation power.

The Equinix announcement comes after the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it had earlier selected 11 initial projects for a program to develop high-tech nuclear test reactors. Three of these projects were expected to be operational in less than one year.

Equinix has signed deals with advanced nuclear suppliers that will supply the company's data centres with more than 1 gigawatts of electricity.

Equinix will procure 500 Megawatts of electricity from Oklo, a California-based company that manufactures nuclear fission powerhouses. Radiant Nuclear in California also signed a preorder contract for 20 transportable nuclear microreactors.

Equinix has signed agreements in Europe to purchase electricity from ULC-Energy, Stellaria, and other nuclear developers.

Equinix has also signed advanced fuel cell agreements in Silicon Valley with Bloom Energy.

Raouf Aboud, Equinix executive vice president for global operations, said that the agreements were part of Equinix’s long-term plan for electricity use in its data centers and not a quick fix.

(source: Reuters)