Valar, Nvidia Unveil 30-MW Waterless Utah AI Factory as Microreactor Powers Blackwell Chip
Updated
Updated · autonocion.com · Jul 6
Valar, Nvidia Unveil 30-MW Waterless Utah AI Factory as Microreactor Powers Blackwell Chip
2 articles · Updated · autonocion.com · Jul 6
Summary
Valar Atomics used its Ward 250 microreactor on July 1 to power an Nvidia Blackwell-based desktop in Utah, marking the first US case of a next-generation reactor running an AI chip.
30 megawatts is the bigger target: the companies said they are exploring a closed-loop Utah AI factory that would use helium-cooled nuclear power and Nvidia’s near-zero-water cooling design.
78 million gallons a year is the water use the proposal aims to avoid versus a conventional 30-MW site, a key selling point as US communities push back on data centers over power and water strain.
37% output and roughly 100 kilowatts of thermal energy were reported for the demo, but Ward 250 operates under a DOE demonstration authorization rather than an NRC commercial license.
75 US data-center projects worth about $130 billion have been blocked or delayed this year, underscoring why permits—not funding or stage demos—remain the main hurdle for any commercial build.