US-based Equinix, a major internet and data centre provider, has signed agreements with California-based startup Radiant Nuclear, Netherlands ULC-Energy and France-based startup Stellaria for future access to small modular reactors (SMRs) to power its data centres. Equinix said this is part of its diversified portfolio power strategy to help mitigate potential power constraints in the future, by expanding traditional power arrangements with utilities and combining new on-site power generation technologies and exploring next generation nuclear energy.
Previously, in February 2024, Equinix became the first data centre operator to sign an agreement with a SMR company signing an agreement to procure 500 MWe of energy from Oklo’s next-generation fission Aurora powerhouses.
With Radiant, Equinix has announced a preorder agreement for the purchase of 20 of Radiant’s Kaleidos microreactors. Radiant’s Kaleidos micro-reactor design is a transportable high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) using high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel, helium gas coolant, and prismatic graphite blocks. It has a capacity of 3MWt or 1 MWe.
Earlier in August, Radiant signed an agreement to deliver a first-of-a-kind (FOAK) microreactor to a US Air Force military base in 2028. This is a first for what is intended to be a “mass-manufactured” microreactor. It was signed with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) at the Department of the Air Force (DAF) under the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program. This was the second USAF deal for the procurement of a microreactor. In June, DAF, in coordination with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy Office issued a Notice of Intent to Award (NOITA) to Oklo for its advanced microreactor. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected the Kaleidos reactor to be scheduled to test next year at Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL’s) Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) testbed facility.
With ULC-Energy, Equinix has signed a Letter of Intent for a power purchase agreement for up to 250 MWe to power data centres in the Netherlands. ULC-Energy in 2022 selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its preferred technology solution for deployment of SMRs in the Netherlands. Rolls-Royce SMR is developing a 470 MWe light water SMR.
ULC-Energy CEO Dirk Rabelink said: “Small modular reactors (SMRs) are ideally suited to power increasing demand for data centres. They can deliver clean baseload electricity safely, reliably, and affordably. ULC-Energy has developed a deployment model that leverages the SMR’s capability to address data centre energy requirements whilst also providing a realistic and affordable solution to support the increasing regional grid and energy challenges. The SMR-powered data centre will enable a clean digital solution and will be a strategic regional energy asset benefitting many local stakeholders.”
Michiel Eielts, Managing Director for Equinix in the Netherlands said: “By securing Rolls-Royce SMR capacity, we’re not only ensuring reliable and clean energy for our data centres but also contributing to a resilient energy future that benefits local communities, supports economic development, and helps reduce the environmental impact of digital infrastructure.”
With Stellaria, Equinix announced a pre-order power agreement for 500 MWe to expand data centres across Europe. Stellaria, launched by France’s Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is developing the Stellarium – a fast breeder reactor and molten salt liquid core reactor based on chloride salts that operates in natural convection. It’s a multi-fuel, iso-generator reactor that produces as much fissile material as it consumes. It can be fuelled by uranium, plutonium, or thorium depending on the chosen specification. It is still in the conceptual design stage.
“Access to round-the-clock electricity is critical to support the infrastructure that powers everything from AI-driven drug discovery to cloud-based video streaming,” said Raouf Abdel, Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Equinix. “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. 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.”
Ali Ruckteschler, Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer at Equinix noted: “Powering AI infrastructure responsibly is a global priority. With Equinix’s operational expertise, trusted supply chain, and close partnerships with the US and global governments and utilities, we are poised to deliver safe, secure and reliable AI solutions for our customers and the communities we serve.”
Equinix says it remains committed to sourcing 100% clean and renewable energy across its global portfolio by 2030 and has already achieved 96% renewable energy coverage globally, with 250 sites operating with 100% renewable energy coverage in 2024.
