AWS Claims That Britain Needs More Nuclear Power for AI Datacenters
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The UK needs more nuclear energy generation just to power all the AI datacenters that are going to be built, according to the head of Amazon Web Services (AWS).
In an interview with the BBC, AWS chief executive Matt Garman said the world is going to have to build new technologies to cope with the projected energy demands of all the bit barns that are planned to support AI.
"I believe nuclear is a big part of that, particularly as we look ten years out," he said.
AWS has already confirmed plans to invest 8 billion ($10.6 billion) on building out its digital and AI infrastructure in Britain between now and the end of 2028 to meet "the growing needs of our customers and partners."
Yet the cloud computing arm of Amazon isn't the only biz popping up new bit barns in Blighty. Google started building a $1 billion campus at Waltham Cross near London last year, while Microsoft began construction of the Park Royal facility in West London in 2023, and made public its plans for another datacenter on the site of a former power station in Leeds last year.
Earleir this year, approval was granted for what is set to become Europe's largest cloud and AI datacenter at a site in Hertfordshire, while another not far away has just been granted outline planning permission by a UK government minister, overruling the local district authority.
This activity is accelerating thanks to the government's AI Opportunities Action Plan, which includes streamlined planning processes to expedite the building of more data facilities in the hope this will drive AI development.
As The Register has previously reported, the infrastructure needed for AI is getting more power-hungry with each generation, and the datacenter expansion to serve the growth in AI services has led to concerns over the amount of energy required.
[...] "AI is driving exponential demand for compute, and that means power. Ultimately, a long-term, resilient energy strategy is critical," said Seamus Dunne, managing director in the UK and Ireland for datacenter biz Digital Realty.
"For the UK to stay competitive in the global digital economy, we need a stable, scalable, and low-carbon energy mix to support the next generation of data infrastructure. With demand already outpacing supply, and the UK aiming to establish itself as an AI powerhouse, it's vital we stay open to a range of solutions. That also means building public trust and working with government to ensure the grid can keep pace."
Garman told the BBC that nuclear is a "great solution" to datacenter energy requirements as it is "an excellent source of zero-carbon, 24/7 power."
This might be true, but new atomic capacity simply can't be delivered fast enough to meet near-term demand, as we reported earlier this year. The World Nuclear Association says that an atomic plant typically takes at least five years to construct, whereas natural gas plants are often built in about two years.
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