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Dive brief:
- Clayco could soon be excavating at the site of the first fully integrated one nuclear power data center in the US, according to a Feb. 12 press release from the Chicago-based general contractor.
- A multidisciplinary consortium, led by the Swiss-American energy company Deep Atomic, submitted proposals to the Department of Energy to combine advanced nuclear power with the construction of hyperscale data centers. One proposal includes a campus at the Idaho National Laboratory, where Clayco would advise on construction phasing and sequencing.
- The project highlights a growing trend of data center developers looking to alternative forms of energy to power builds. If approved, the project could serve as a model for more nuclear AI infrastructure, according to Clayco.
Diving knowledge:
Pending DOE approval, Clayco would roll out the project in phases. The general contractor would first build the data center facility, which would initially be powered by the existing grid, geothermal and solar power, according to a Clayco statement shared with Construction Dive.
Deep Atomic would incorporate its MK60 small modular reactor into the campus after vertical construction, according to the release. Clayco hopes this will serve as a demonstration of how nuclear-powered AI infrastructure could be deployed across the country.
“We believe this project could serve as a model for providing data centers with the clean, scalable power that greater use of AI requires,” Clayco’s statement said. “The implementation of this type of SMR will increase adoption in the future.”
Clayco will also advise the consortium on infrastructure integration. This includes aligning design and build approaches with the requirements of these high-density AI workloads when operational, according to the release.
According to Clayco, AI infrastructure projects will lead to a projected 15% increase in electricity demand by 2030. To keep up with this demand, more developers are looking to alternative energy sources to power data centers.
“This growing need requires the use of alternative energy sources to maintain grid stability,” according to Clayco’s statement. “It also presents a key moment for America’s electricity infrastructure to improve its reliance on clean energy sources, including nuclear, enabling greater sustainability in this critical sector of American development.”
Clayco currently has 57 active data center projects under construction in the United States, the contractor shared with Construction Dive. This hands-on industry experience made Clayco uniquely qualified to support Deep Atomic’s construction goals, the firm said.
“Successful DOE submissions require more than innovative energy concepts: they require confidence that projects can be delivered safely, efficiently and at scale,” Bob Clark, Clayco’s executive chairman and founder, said in the statement.
