AI data centers may soon be powered by retired Navy nuclear reactors from aircraft carriers and submarines — firm asks U.S. DOE for a loan guarantee to start the project

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This is a much cheaper and faster way to get nuclear power.

USS Nimitz
(Image credit: Pixabay)

Texas-based HGP Intelligent Energy sent a proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to repurpose two retired U.S. Navy nuclear reactors for use in an AI data center project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, under President Donald Trump’s Genesis Mission. Bloomberg says that the company aims to use two old reactors to deliver 450 to 520 megawatts of power, but did not confirm where they would come from.

At the moment, the U.S. Navy uses Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors to power Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carriers (CVNs) and General Electric S8G reactors for the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). The USS Nimitz, which entered service in 1975, is already on its last deployment before entering retirement, while nearly a third of Los Angeles-class SSNs, which first started patrols in 1976, have already been decommissioned and withdrawn from service.

The company plans to file for a loan guarantee from the Energy Department, with the entire project expected to cost $1.8 to $2.1 billion. This includes preparing the infrastructure needed to reactivate and convert the reactors for use in data centers. Once operational, HGP Intelligent Energy says it will have a revenue-sharing program with the government and establish a decommissioning fund. The latter is especially crucial as dealing with retired nuclear materials is insanely expensive, with the dismantling of the U.S.’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier costing over ten times more compared to its last conventional super carrier.

“We already know how to do this safely and at scale,” says HGP chief executive Gregory Forero. “And we’re fortunate to have a solid base of investors and partners who share that vision.”

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Jowi Morales
Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer
25 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ezst036
    I have heard worse ideas. We really need the energy.

    To my knowledge there has never been a meltdown of any American sub/ship.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    ezst036 said:
    I have heard worse ideas. We really need the energy.

    To my knowledge there has never been a meltdown of any American sub/ship.
    This is true.
    Probably due to the insanely strict (for good reasons) regulatory environment.
    Something startups often have trouble with.
    Reply
  • juseman
    S6G* reactor plants are used on Los-Angeles Class submarines.
    Reply
  • LordVile
    Don really see the point. Adapting them is likely more expensive that just getting a more powerful SMR.
    Reply
  • nichrome
    LordVile said:
    Don really see the point. Adapting them is likely more expensive that just getting a more powerful SMR.
    Skynet thanks you for the submarines and aircraft carriers,next year will be even better-we insist. /S
    Reply
  • CelicaGT
    The decommissioning fund should be established first, so there's money to clean this mess up when it inevitably gets left half complete after running out of money or the AI bubble bursting.
    Reply
  • LordVile
    CelicaGT said:
    The decommissioning fund should be established first, so there's money to clean this mess up when it inevitably gets left half complete after running out of money or the AI bubble bursting.
    The AI bubble won’t burst! It’s too big to fail
    Reply
  • RickTMM1SS
    Admin said:
    A Texas energy startup proposes repurposing retired U.S. Navy nuclear reactors for use in AI data centers.

    Startup proposes using retired Navy nuclear reactors from aircraft carriers and submarines for AI data centers — firm asks U.S. DOE for a loan guar...: Read more
    This project shows the company's staff has no ME or EEs on staff or is ignoring them, they have no understanding of the scale involved.

    The first major reason is Navy reactors are too small for the required load. An A4W (Nimitz-class) reactor puts out about 500MW thermal or 150MW of electrical power and a new AI datacenter needs many times that. The Navy rates the reactors in terms of THERMAL power which makes the numbers look far better. An Ohio-class reactor is rated at 220MW thermal, so barely 80 MW electrical and that is the biggest submarine reactor in current operation.

    For comparison, Unit One at Palo Verde in Arizona is rated at 3,990 MWt, good for 1,311 MW electrical output.

    The second reason is fundamental design requirements. Naval reactors are designed to be compact, tolerate shocks, and run at wildly varying power levels. Power reactors are designed to be easy to refuel and to run at 100% power for months at a time as base load, then shut down and swap a third of the fuel assemblies. Space inside the reactor containment may be restricted but the plant doesn't have to withstand 'angles and dangles' as part of normal operation.

    Rick T. MM1(SS) NEC 3356...
    Reply
  • RickTMM1SS
    ezst036 said:
    I have heard worse ideas. We really need the energy.

    To my knowledge there has never been a meltdown of any American sub/ship.
    Correct. We lost the Scorpion and Thresher for other reasons but the cores stayed intact in the wreckage.
    Reply
  • vanadiel007
    I remember the complaints of crypto mining power use.
    That was nothing compared to what they project with this AI boom.

    I do think at some point it will go boom as growth will be more or less halted due to power restrictions, bringing this back in balance.
    You will then see various major AI players join forces rather than compete with each other.

    We would be further ahead if they would just work together, and we would not need all this power.
    Reply