Nuclear energy startup Valar Atomics and NVIDIA have announced the successful demonstration of the first AI data center powered by a micro nuclear reactor in Utah, a project designed to address the water and energy challenges posed by surging AI computing demands.

The demonstration integrated Valar's high-temperature gas-cooled micro-reactor with NVIDIA's Blackwell chip platform. The reactor uses helium instead of water for cooling, and when combined with the closed-loop liquid cooling design of the NVIDIA DSX data center, it reduces the facility's annual water consumption from a traditional rate of approximately 2.6 million gallons per megawatt to nearly zero.

NVIDIA Global Vice President John Josephakis stated that the company is exploring through partnerships how waterless advanced nuclear systems can support the scale and reliability needs of future AI factories. Valar founder Isaiah Taylor emphasized that the initiative aims to demonstrate that nuclear projects can advance rapidly while navigating regulatory hurdles.

This collaboration comes at a time of soaring power demand from AI data centers, with the Trump administration identifying small reactors as a solution for expanding power generation for AI infrastructure. Valar is one of approximately ten nuclear startups participating in a U.S. Department of Energy pilot program.