Nvidia and PreussenElektra to Assess Former Nuclear Sites for AI Data Centers

Nvidia and PreussenElektra GmbH will assess whether former German nuclear power plant sites can host AI data centers, the companies announced — an open-ended feasibility study with no investment or siting decisions made so far.

PreussenElektra, a subsidiary of German utility E.ON, specializes in decommissioning and dismantling nuclear power plants. The partnership will examine existing energy and site infrastructure plus available land, to determine whether they meet the technical and operational requirements of high-performance AI data centers.

The company says sites with extensive industrial acreage, high-capacity grid connections and established infrastructure fit the bill for potential deployments.

How will the assessment work?

The division of labor is straightforward. PreussenElektra supplies knowledge of the sites, infrastructure and the relevant regulatory framework conditions. Nvidia, in turn, will assess the requirements for AI data centers and develop possible technical site concepts.

From there, the two companies will determine which sites warrant more detailed consideration, and under what conditions. The assessment is explicitly open-ended and represents only the first step in the evaluation process. Neither company has said how the data centers would be powered.

"Our former power plant sites have valuable industrial infrastructure and offer opportunities for new, future-oriented uses," said Guido Knott, chairman of the PreussenElektra Management Board. "Together with Nvidia, we intend to conduct a sound assessment of whether and how these conditions can be leveraged for AI factories."

Knott framed the effort as combining responsible reuse of the sites with new economic opportunities for the regions.

"AI factories require access to power, land and high-capacity infrastructure, and former industrial sites could provide a strong foundation for this next generation of computing," said Markus Hacker, senior regional director at Nvidia. "Together with PreussenElektra, we will assess how its sites could meet the technical and operational requirements of AI factories and contribute to Germany's high-performance AI infrastructure."

What does this change for Germany's site landscape?

Germany shut its last operational nuclear plants permanently in April 2023, following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Roughly 30 former nuclear plants are currently being dismantled across the country. PreussenElektra is responsible for eight of those sites — the likely candidates for assessment.

For data center planners, the appeal is obvious: high-capacity grid connections and industrial-grade infrastructure already exist at these locations. Building that from scratch is typically the long pole in any AI compute project. What the study doesn't answer is the power supply question, which the companies have left open.

The deal fits a pattern. Nvidia has announced several nuclear-focused initiatives recently. In July, the company partnered with the Idaho National Laboratory, AWS and several major small modular reactor (SMR) firms to launch the Prometheus project, an initiative that seeks to speed up advanced nuclear deployment through the use of AI.

The initiative was one of 278 selected under the Genesis Mission Request for Applications.

What happens next?

Nothing binding. The companies say the assessment is the first step in an evaluation process, and no specific investment or site decisions have been made. If the study finds sites that meet Nvidia's technical requirements, more detailed consideration would follow under conditions the partners have yet to define.

For now, the story is a feasibility assessment with real assets behind it — eight sites, existing grid capacity and a chipmaker hungry for powered land.