How can the global energy grid keep pace with fast-growing demand from new data centers supporting artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing? Nuclear energy and coastal waters offer a potential answer.

The potential for floating nuclear-powered data centers is explored in depth in the latest industry-leading research from ABS and Herbert Engineering.

Pathways to a Low Carbon Future Floating Nuclear Power Data Center details design considerations for a floating data center that would use large river estuaries or coastal waters as a heat sink for both servers and small modular reactors (SMR) onboard a purpose-built barge.

“The intersection of new nuclear technologies and rapidly growing AI capabilities represents a generational opportunity to power humanity’s future. As demand for data centers increases, moving them offshore and powering them with on board nuclear energy could mitigate certain risks and reduce the strain on local grids,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO.

The study provides ABS and the industry with important insight into heat and energy management for both servers and reactors, weight distribution, structural considerations, and other design features for floating nuclear power data centers. This will assist the identification of design issues that will inform future Rules development.