Equinix signs deals for nukes and fuel cells to power its AI bit barns
(2025/08/14)
- Reference: 1755195012
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/08/14/equinix_signs_deals_for_nukes/
- Source link:
Equinix is doing deals with alternative energy providers to support the needs of its datacenters globally, including nuclear options and fuel cell deployments, as the AI fad continues to push a bit barn build boom.
As one of the largest datacenter operators in the world, Equinix says it is working with firms developing reliable and sustainable electricity generation technology as part of its diversified portfolio power strategy, in a bid to side-step potential power constraints in the future.
The agreements announced on Thursday comprise four with nuclear companies, and one providing solid-oxide fuel cells. The nuclear ones are not likely to deliver for several years, since the technologies are still under development in some cases.
[1]
Nevertheless, Equinix says it sees nuclear energy as "a promising solution" to help power both datacenters and the broader grid.
[2]
[3]
Two of the firms it has partnered with here - Oklo and Radiant Industries - are also part of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) [4]Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program , aimed at developing new advanced reactors.
With [5]Oklo , Equinix has signed an agreement to procure 500 MW of energy from the company's so-called Aurora powerhouses, which are designed to look like small domestic dwellings. Oklo says it expects to deploy its first commercial advanced reactor in the US before the end of the decade.
[6]
In the case of [7]Radiant , Equinix has a preorder agreement for the purchase of 20 of that company's Kaleidos microreactors, which are small enough to fit on a trailer and provide 1 MW of energy. The company recently inked a deal to kit out a US military base with the devices by 2028.
[8]ULC-Energy is a Netherlands company, and it has signed a Letter of Intent with Equinix for a power purchase agreement (PPA) of up to 250 MW to power its datacenters in the country. The firm says it is the Dutch developer of the Rolls-Royce SMR (small modular reactor), a design [9]set to be deployed in the UK by Great British Nuclear .
Equinix likewise has a preorder power agreement for 500 MW with [10]Stellaria , a start-up founded by Schneider-Electric and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). It is aiming for first fission by 2029 and production by 2035.
[11]Tony Blair Institute: UK needs bit barns to lead in AI deployment, not training
[12]Altman embraces inner Viking, raids Europe with 100K GPU supercluster in Norway
[13]Datacenter lobby blows a fuse over EU efficiency proposals
[14]Colo operators flock to emerging markets to build DCs
In the case of solid-oxide fuel cells, the firm says it has an agreement with [15]Bloom Energy for a deployment of more than 100 MW worth of these at over 19 datacenters in six US states to provide onsite power generation.
We asked Equinix if this was to provide primary power or to serve as a backup power source, and will let you know if we get an answer.
[16]
Backup power is the typical application for fuel cells in datacenters, as a "greener" replacement for diesel generators, although projects in [17]Japan and [18]Ireland have declared an intention to develop bit barn campuses powered largely or entirely by them.
"As energy demand increases, we believe we have an opportunity and responsibility to support the development of reliable, sustainable, scalable energy infrastructure that can support our collective future," said Equinix EVP of Global Operations Raouf Abdel.
"By working with our energy partners, we believe we can support the energy needs of our customers and communities around the world by helping to strengthen the grid and investing in new energy sources." ®
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[4] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/14/us_doe_names_firms_that/
[5] https://oklo.com/overview/default.aspx
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aJ5cdN7OWsXPNMCfV7JOgQAAAQA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.radiantnuclear.com/
[8] https://www.ulc-energy.com/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/13/uk_smr_tender/
[10] https://www.stellaria.fr/en/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/04/tony_blair_institute_says_uk/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/31/norway_stargate_openai/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/30/datacenter_lobby_eu_efficiency/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/12/emerging_markets_now_the_growth/
[15] https://www.bloomenergy.com/
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[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/03/japan_to_test_datacenter_powered/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/07/ireland_to_develop_datacenter_powered/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
As one of the largest datacenter operators in the world, Equinix says it is working with firms developing reliable and sustainable electricity generation technology as part of its diversified portfolio power strategy, in a bid to side-step potential power constraints in the future.
The agreements announced on Thursday comprise four with nuclear companies, and one providing solid-oxide fuel cells. The nuclear ones are not likely to deliver for several years, since the technologies are still under development in some cases.
[1]
Nevertheless, Equinix says it sees nuclear energy as "a promising solution" to help power both datacenters and the broader grid.
[2]
[3]
Two of the firms it has partnered with here - Oklo and Radiant Industries - are also part of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) [4]Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program , aimed at developing new advanced reactors.
With [5]Oklo , Equinix has signed an agreement to procure 500 MW of energy from the company's so-called Aurora powerhouses, which are designed to look like small domestic dwellings. Oklo says it expects to deploy its first commercial advanced reactor in the US before the end of the decade.
[6]
In the case of [7]Radiant , Equinix has a preorder agreement for the purchase of 20 of that company's Kaleidos microreactors, which are small enough to fit on a trailer and provide 1 MW of energy. The company recently inked a deal to kit out a US military base with the devices by 2028.
[8]ULC-Energy is a Netherlands company, and it has signed a Letter of Intent with Equinix for a power purchase agreement (PPA) of up to 250 MW to power its datacenters in the country. The firm says it is the Dutch developer of the Rolls-Royce SMR (small modular reactor), a design [9]set to be deployed in the UK by Great British Nuclear .
Equinix likewise has a preorder power agreement for 500 MW with [10]Stellaria , a start-up founded by Schneider-Electric and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). It is aiming for first fission by 2029 and production by 2035.
[11]Tony Blair Institute: UK needs bit barns to lead in AI deployment, not training
[12]Altman embraces inner Viking, raids Europe with 100K GPU supercluster in Norway
[13]Datacenter lobby blows a fuse over EU efficiency proposals
[14]Colo operators flock to emerging markets to build DCs
In the case of solid-oxide fuel cells, the firm says it has an agreement with [15]Bloom Energy for a deployment of more than 100 MW worth of these at over 19 datacenters in six US states to provide onsite power generation.
We asked Equinix if this was to provide primary power or to serve as a backup power source, and will let you know if we get an answer.
[16]
Backup power is the typical application for fuel cells in datacenters, as a "greener" replacement for diesel generators, although projects in [17]Japan and [18]Ireland have declared an intention to develop bit barn campuses powered largely or entirely by them.
"As energy demand increases, we believe we have an opportunity and responsibility to support the development of reliable, sustainable, scalable energy infrastructure that can support our collective future," said Equinix EVP of Global Operations Raouf Abdel.
"By working with our energy partners, we believe we can support the energy needs of our customers and communities around the world by helping to strengthen the grid and investing in new energy sources." ®
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aJ5cdN7OWsXPNMCfV7JOgQAAAQA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[4] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/14/us_doe_names_firms_that/
[5] https://oklo.com/overview/default.aspx
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aJ5cdN7OWsXPNMCfV7JOgQAAAQA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.radiantnuclear.com/
[8] https://www.ulc-energy.com/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/13/uk_smr_tender/
[10] https://www.stellaria.fr/en/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/04/tony_blair_institute_says_uk/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/31/norway_stargate_openai/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/30/datacenter_lobby_eu_efficiency/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/12/emerging_markets_now_the_growth/
[15] https://www.bloomenergy.com/
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[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/03/japan_to_test_datacenter_powered/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/07/ireland_to_develop_datacenter_powered/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/