To reconcile innovation in AI and sustainability, Meta is banking on nuclear energy, like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle. Mark Zuckerberg’s group plans up to 4 GW of new capacity by 2030.
Faced with the increase in energy consumption of data centers, driven by AI, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle are investing in nuclear energy. But hyperscalers are not the only IT providers opting for this energy source. Another tech giant is doing the same: Meta. The group led by Mark Zuckerberg announced that it would launch a call for tenders to identify nuclear energy producers that could help it reconcile its ambitions for AI innovation and sustainability.
The group’s objective is to create between 1 and 4 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity in the United States by the early 2030s. The call for tender specifies that Meta will also consider small modular reactors ( SMR) than large capacity reactors. The company seeks partners with expertise in development, building permits and project execution. The new reactors will need to offer sufficient scale to reduce costs and meet the group’s growing energy needs.
As of 2020, Meta says its global operations are 100% powered by renewable energy, thanks to partnerships that have generated 12,000 MW from solar, wind and geothermal projects. The group now considers nuclear energy as an essential complement to its energy portfolio.
In early November, the Financial Times reported that Meta intended to collaborate with an established nuclear energy provider to power a data center dedicated to artificial intelligence. However, the deal did not come to fruition following the discovery of a rare species of bees on the site planned for the infrastructure.
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