According to Tom’s Hardware, Nvidia and PreussenElektra GmbH (PEL) announced on October 21, 2026, an assessment of whether PEL’s former nuclear-plant sites in Germany could host AI data centers. The proposal focuses on reusing the sites, not on using nuclear power to supply the prospective centers.
What the German assessment covers
The companies are evaluating whether the sites’ existing grid connections, land and industrial infrastructure could support AI data centers. Water infrastructure is also relevant to cooling. Those are factors for assessment, not confirmation that any particular site meets the needs of a data center.
In its October 25, 2026, report, Tom’s Hardware described the work as an open-ended feasibility assessment. It reported no selected location, finalized investment, approved development plan or definitive construction agreement.
A separate Nvidia collaboration explores nuclear-powered AI factories
The German site-reuse assessment is distinct from Nvidia’s collaboration with engineering firm AtkinsRéalis. World Nuclear News reported on March 17, 2026, that the two companies would explore nuclear-powered AI factories. That work pairs AtkinsRéalis’s nuclear engineering expertise with Nvidia infrastructure tools, including the DSX Blueprint and digital twins.
| Collaboration | Partner | Reported scope | Role of nuclear power |
| German site assessment | PreussenElektra GmbH | Assess whether former German nuclear-plant sites could host AI data centers | Site reuse; nuclear power is not proposed as the centers’ electricity supply |
| AI factory exploration | AtkinsRéalis | Explore nuclear-powered AI factories and related infrastructure | Nuclear power is part of the concept being explored |
