Nvidia to assess former German nuclear sites for AI data centers

Nvidia and German utility PreussenElektra GmbH (PEL) have signed a preliminary agreement to assess whether former nuclear power plant sites in Germany could host AI data centers. The companies say they will not restart any reactors, and the agreement does not commit them to construction.

The assessment will examine existing grid connections, available land, water access and industrial infrastructure, as well as whether sites can meet the technical and operational requirements of AI facilities. The companies say the work could support Germany’s computing capacity for AI.

Germany permanently closed its last operating reactors in April 2023 and is dismantling about 30 nuclear power stations. PEL oversees the closure and dismantling of eight stations, but the companies have not named the sites under consideration. Those eight locations are therefore only a possibility, not a confirmed list.

PEL management board chairman Guido Knott said former power plant sites have valuable industrial infrastructure and could have new uses. Nvidia senior regional director Markus Hacker said former industrial sites could provide a foundation for high-performance AI infrastructure.

The proposal remains exploratory. Neither company has disclosed funding, approved designs or binding construction contracts. The announcement does not establish whether the sites’ grid capacity can serve AI clusters, or address conversion costs, approvals or local consultation. Any time or cost savings remain speculative.