Overview
- Valar Atomics ran a live demonstration that fed about 100 kilowatts of electricity to an Nvidia Blackwell chip during a July 1 event at its Orangeville, Utah site.
- The company announced an exploratory partnership with Nvidia to design a closed‑loop, near‑zero‑water 30 megawatt AI data center but described the project as under study rather than a finalized build plan.
- Valar’s Ward250 reactor uses high‑temperature operation and pressurized helium to remove heat and drive a thermal‑electric generator, and Nvidia says its closed‑loop liquid cooling can operate at higher temperatures to cut cooling water needs.
- The reactor is part of the U.S. Department of Energy Reactor Pilot Program that aims for rapid demonstrations, yet commercial use hinges on Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing, expanded fuel and manufacturing supply chains, and ongoing litigation over federal versus state oversight.
- Local leaders praised the jobs and tax revenue prospects, public concern over data center water and power persists, and the next milestones to watch are NRC review steps, scaling tests beyond kilowatt output, and supply‑chain readiness for multi‑megawatt deployment.