How can the global energy grid keep pace with fast-growing demand from new data centres supporting artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing? Nuclear energy and coastal waters offer a potential answer.
The potential for floating nuclear-powered data centres is explored in depth in the latest industry-leading research from ABS and Herbert Engineering.
SMRs on a barge
‘The intersection of new nuclear technologies and rapidly growing AI capabilities represents a generational opportunity to power humanity’s future. As demand for data centres increases, moving them offshore and powering them with onboard nuclear energy could mitigate certain risks and reduce the strain on local grids,’ explains Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO.
Heat and energy management
The study provides ABS and the industry with important insight into heat and energy management for both servers and reactors, weight distribution, structural considerations, and other design features for floating nuclear power data centres. This will assist the identification of design issues that will inform future rules development.
