Valar Atomics partners with NVIDIA, demos nuclear-powered Blackwell in Utah

Valar Atomics announced a partnership with NVIDIA on July 1 to develop an AI data center powered by advanced nuclear energy in Utah. The companies conducted a live demonstration where Valar's Ward 250 microreactor, cooled with helium instead of water, powered an NVIDIA Blackwell AI chip, marking the first time a next-generation reactor has powered a data center in the US. Valar founder Isaiah Taylor activated the reactor to 37% power on stage, hosting a live website through the power generated from the 100-kilowatt thermal output.

Valar and NVIDIA are jointly exploring a 30-megawatt, nearly waterless AI data center in Utah using Valar's high-temperature gas-cooled reactor and NVIDIA's closed-loop liquid cooling technology. This collaboration addresses two acute pain points: data center water consumption and grid capacity. NVIDIA's John Josephakis, global vice president, stated the companies are exploring how 'behind-the-meter, waterless advanced nuclear systems could support future AI factories.' Valar, founded in 2023, broke ground in Orangeville last September and reached criticality on June 18.

Valar is one of approximately 10 nuclear startups in a Department of Energy pilot program with a July 4 deadline to demonstrate three reactors reaching criticality—a self-sustaining nuclear reaction. Other firms including Deployable Energy and Antares Nuclear have also achieved power generation with small modular reactors. Before commercial deployment, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must license Valar's reactor; the NRC has signaled intent to reduce federal licensing timelines to less than 18 months.

For AI architects, this matters because data center power and cooling are becoming the bottleneck. Nuclear microreactors offer waterless operation, stable on-site power without grid dependency, and can be deployed faster than traditional nuclear plants. The 30MW capacity target is modest compared to hyperscaler needs but validates the behind-the-meter nuclear thesis that tech giants—Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle—have been exploring since early 2024.