- China tests mobile nuclear reactor capable of powering AI data centers
- Truck-mounted reactor prototype built to operate for decades without refueling
- 10MW Portable Nuclear Unit Targets Remote Power Delivery and AI Workloads
China is testing a nuclear reactor small enough to ride on a truck, a project scientists say could help solve growing demand for electricity driven by artificial intelligence systems.
He South China Morning Post reports that the reactor is the world’s first 10 MW vehicle-mounted nuclear power unit, developed over several years and now moving toward real-world use.
The output is enough to power a medium-sized AI data center, where uninterrupted electricity is essential.
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Wu Yican, chief scientific advisor of the Nuclear Energy Safety Technology Institute of Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences, said Science and technology journal“The ‘nuclear power bank’ we proposed exemplifies the next generation of nuclear power systems. This technology offers exceptional safety in a remarkably compact size and an operational lifetime of decades without recharging.”
Mobility is central to the concept, as the reactor can be transported by truck to areas where traditional grid connections are not available or reliable.
“It offers a solution to ‘battery anxiety’ in different applications, including power supply for remote regions and islands, emergency backup power delivery in special environments, ship propulsion, powering space systems, and supporting data centers and AI computing,” Wu said.
He explained that next-generation nuclear systems should be built around safety and adaptability. “They must be affordable, flexible and intelligent, enabling them to meet the diverse energy needs of the future,” Wu said.
Interest in portable nuclear systems is increasing as AI computing continues to expand, raising power requirements far beyond what many existing networks were built to support.
SCMP says China currently operates 59 commercial nuclear units producing 467.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, accounting for 4.82 percent of domestic demand and placing it second globally behind the United States.
Tech companies have been moving toward nuclear power as data center electricity demand continues to rise.
Amazon plans to develop 12 small modular nuclear reactors with nearly 1 GW of combined output, while Google is building a small reactor in Tennessee to power its facilities. Amazon, Meta, Google and Microsoft have joined the World Nuclear Association.
Microsoft has also dabbled in legacy infrastructure, participating in the restart of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, while smaller systems such as Westinghouse’s eVinci microreactor are being developed to deliver around 5 MW for up to 100 months without refueling.
Wu also discussed nuclear technology beyond power generation, highlighting its growing role in medicine, where radioactive molecules are used to evaluate bodily functions and diagnose and treat diseases, including cancer.
More than five million people in China are diagnosed with cancer each year, adding pressure to expand medical tools that depend on nuclear research and production capacity.
“If nuclear technology could help improve treatments, it could bring immeasurable social and economic value,” Wu said.
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