Valar Atomics Ward 250 powers Nvidia PC with nuclear microreactor

A startup has successfully activated a nuclear microreactor on stage to power an Nvidia RTX desktop PC, highlighting a new partnership with Nvidia to build water-free AI factories. This demonstration shows how tiny nuclear reactors could eventually solve the power and water crises facing AI data centers. The event marks a tangible step in the industry's push for independent AI power generation.

Startup demonstrates off-grid nuclear power for AI infrastructure

Valar Atomics activated its Ward 250 nuclear microreactor live on stage during the event. The company is partnering with Nvidia to build a 30MW closed-loop AI factory that does not use local water. This collaboration aims to create self-contained power plants that operate independently of the local grid.

Ward 250 Specifications

• Reactor Model: Ward 250
• Power Output: 100 kilowatts of thermal energy
• Cooling System: Pressurized helium system
• Power Conversion: Thermal electric generator (TEG)

The reactor produced 100 kilowatts of thermal energy at 37% of its full power. The system uses a pressurized helium cooling loop to extract heat from the fissioning uranium atoms. That heat flows into a thermal electric generator, which creates the electrical current powering the Nvidia Blackwell chip.

Valar Atomics claims to be the first startup to achieve power production, but the Department of Energy notes that other firms like Deployable Energy and Antares Nuclear have also achieved criticality. The Ward 250 system demonstrates a viable path for off-grid computing infrastructure. This technology could influence energy costs and hardware availability for consumers in the long term.