NVIDIA Explores Using Shut-Down German Nuclear Plants for AI Data Centers

Scaling large language model clusters has hit a physical bottleneck: electrical infrastructure. Grid connection queues and a shortage of available megawatts can delay large computing facilities by five to seven years, according to a report by habr based on an agreement between NVIDIA and German energy operator PreussenElektra GmbH.

To bypass these delays, the companies are analyzing the feasibility of placing high-density data centers on the grounds of closed nuclear power plants in Germany. NVIDIA is not planning to restart nuclear reactors—the country shut down its final operational units in spring 2023. Instead, the project relies on reusing the existing heavy industrial and grid infrastructure left behind after the shutdown of nuclear circuits.

Building large power data centers usually requires lengthy land clearance and transmission grid approvals. However, PreussenElektra sites already feature 220 and 380 kV substations with direct ties to the transmission grid. While operating nuclear plants used transformers to step up voltage for distribution, a data center would reverse the flow, stepping down high-voltage power from the external grid for server use.

Integrating systems based on the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DGX computing complexes demands a power density of 40 to 120 kW per rack. Because high-voltage lines are already in place, operators would not need to build new power lines or substations from scratch. Furthermore, nuclear sites are typically positioned near large bodies of water to secure continuous cooling, satisfying the heavy hydraulic direct liquid cooling requirements of modern high-density chips.

The project is currently at the preliminary feasibility stage. PreussenElektra manages eight stations, including the Brokdorf, Grohnde, Unterweser, and Isar locations. Equipment placement is only considered on clean parcels cleared by nuclear safety regulators, as reactor buildings themselves undergo decades-long decommissioning schedules. Engineers are currently verifying whether building structures can support the weight of heavy server racks, whether grid capacities are sufficient, and how to organize personnel workflows on such sites.

Source: habr