Valar Atomics and Nvidia team up on nuclear‑powered, water‑saving AI data center in Utah

Valar Atomics, a nuclear‑energy startup, and Nvidia announced a partnership on 1 July 2026 at the company’s Orangeville, Utah site to develop a small‑scale, 30‑megawatt AI data center powered directly by Valar’s Ward250 microreactor. The reactor, which generated 100 kilowatts of electricity after going critical on 18 June, uses helium cooling and is the first startup‑built reactor to produce nuclear power. A live demonstration powered Nvidia’s latest Blackwell AI chips, marking the first time a microreactor has supplied electricity to a data‑center facility.

Nvidia will employ its DSX design with a closed‑loop liquid‑cooling system that can cut cooling‑water use from roughly 2.6 million gallons per megawatt‑year to near zero. Both companies say the project will showcase how advanced nuclear technology can provide reliable, low‑water power for the rapidly expanding AI infrastructure sector. The collaboration is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s reactor pilot program, which aims to bring three small reactors to criticality by early July, and aligns with the Trump administration’s push to expand small‑modular nuclear deployment. Valar’s founder Isaiah Taylor emphasized the goal of rapid, scalable nuclear projects, while Nvidia’s John Josephakis noted the potential for “behind‑the‑meter, waterless advanced nuclear systems” to support future AI factories. The venture is expected to create high‑skill jobs in reactor operations and data‑center engineering, attract private capital, and reduce local water‑use pressures.