Issue 4
Nuclear power for AI data centers: NANO Nuclear–Tillman deal, NuScale–TVA talks, army microreactors
NANO Nuclear and Tillman have signed a nuclear power agreement to supply AI data centers (24 August 2026). Meanwhile, NuScale's data center strategy hinges on its talks with TVA, and according to Barron's, microreactors arriving at US Army bases could also open a path toward data centers.
Who is affected and how
- energy specialist
- When planning data center power supply, small modular reactor and microreactor options are worth building into long-term supply plans as a separate scenario.
- plant manager
- When choosing energy-intensive sites, watch where campuses are emerging that are built on nuclear power and offer locally generated electricity.
Studies: AI data centers mean a heavier grid-upgrade burden than previously expected
Several analyses find that AI data centers place a greater burden on the electricity grid than earlier estimates suggested. PJM commissioned an independent forecast from Charles River Associates, and…
energy specialistGrid-upgrade costs and forecasts point to rising connection charges and tariffs, which must be factored into capacity planning.plant managerGrid congestion may also affect industrial consumers' connection and electricity-cost plans.supply chain · United StatesGas turbines become AI infrastructure's new bottleneck after semiconductors, with long order backlogs
Gas turbines have become the new bottleneck in AI infrastructure after semiconductors, with orders facing long waiting lists. SpaceX is building a turbine blade factory, Powell Industries says its…
supplierThere is long-term demand for parts and capacity offers tied to the order backlogs of turbine, switchgear and UPS manufacturers.energy specialistGiven turbine lead times, delivery time should be the first parameter when planning on-site (off-grid) gas-fired solutions.plant managerProcurement lead times for high-voltage equipment may also stretch a plant's own expansion plans.investment · United StatesEmerald AI raises $150 million at $1.05 billion valuation for flexible data center power use
Emerald AI has raised $150 million at a $1.05 billion valuation; its investors include Nvidia, Siemens and RWE. Its software tunes data centers' power draw, and the company estimates that flexible…
energy specialistA flexible data center able to curtail its load can secure a faster grid connection, so it is worth offering this in connection negotiations.engineerShifting and curtailing compute load over time becomes a plannable feature that must be built into scheduling systems at the design stage.survey · AsiaChina's industry shifts quickly to AI: 47.5% of industrial firms used AI last year
Some 47.5% of Chinese industrial companies used AI models or AI agents last year, a fivefold increase. China's smart manufacturing is producing AI-native factories, and jobs could be at risk.
plant managerThe pace of AI adoption among Chinese competitors is a benchmark for the speed of your own rollout plan.skilled workerTrained, AI-driven processes are reshaping job roles, so broadening machine-operator and maintenance skills is timely.Hungary
More key stories of the week
AI data centre power demand: China's could reach 774 TWh by 2030, Australia's to rise sevenfold
China's AI boom could lift data centre electricity demand to 774 TWh by 2030, according to Wood Mackenzie, while AEMO expects data centre consumption in Australia to grow sevenfold over the next…
energy specialistRegional forecasts show demand growing at different rates, so capacity expansion has to be modelled market by market.case · United StatesOpposition to AI data centres grows: moratoria, political disputes, water use
Municipalities and regions are introducing construction bans on new AI data centres because of grid strain and water supplies; Texas's governor says the industry dug its own grave. In Oregon the…
energy specialistPermitting risk is rising, so new connection requests should also assess local political and water-supply factors.automation · globalAgentic digital workers are filling the industrial capacity gap
Reports say agentic digital workers are increasingly being used to fill the industrial labour shortage. The news appeared on August 26 across seven sources.
plant managerSoftware agents can partly address the labour shortage, but tasks and control points must be defined in advance.skilled workerRepetitive administrative and data tasks can shift to agents, while the supervisory and exception-handling role remains.robotics · United StatesFigure AI leads humanoid robotics, RoboStrategy CEO says; it pays for videos to train robots
RoboStrategy's chief executive says Figure AI, not Tesla, leads in humanoid robotics. Figure demonstrated autonomous ladder climbing for industrial mezzanines and pays for videos of everyday tasks to…
plant managerHumanoid robots are worth piloting on a well-defined warehouse or materials-handling task before planning a full rollout.engineerWith video-based training, documenting and standardising tasks becomes part of preparing for robots.data centre · globalWilo: AI data centres need predictive maintenance, while AI also optimises cooling
Wilo says the load of AI data centres makes predictive maintenance necessary. Another report says data centres are using AI to run their cooling more efficiently.
engineerCondition monitoring and predictive maintenance of pumps and cooling systems in AI-load facilities should be built in at the design stage.energy specialistCooling optimisation directly lowers PUE and the electricity bill.investment · globalNvidia and Cloverleaf announce partnership as Foxconn expands in US and India for AI infrastructure
Nvidia and Cloverleaf Infrastructure have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate AI data centre development in the US. Foxconn, meanwhile, bought property in Santa Clara, is weighing…
supplierManufacturers moving to system integration and modular data centre deployment create new supplier needs in cooling, power and assembly.investment · European UnionTCS to buy Porsche's MHP for $373 million, with $1.45 billion IT deal
Tata Consultancy Services is buying Porsche's German management and IT consulting firm MHP for $373 million, and receives a $1.45 billion Porsche IT contract alongside it. TCS's chief executive says…
supplierAutomotive software and IT services may move to larger, consolidated providers, so it is worth assessing your subcontractor position.engineerPorsche's IT transformation pushes engineering work towards a software-defined manufacturing and development environment.energyIreland and Australia clash over nuclear power for AI data centers
Ireland and Australia are both engaged in a sharp debate over whether nuclear energy can meet the electricity needs of AI data centers. According to Data Centre Magazine, the Irish debate is part of…
energy specialistEuropean grid and permitting disputes show that the political risk of nuclear supply should be treated as a separate item alongside operational risk.automation · United StatesWarehouse robotics: CJ Logistics deploys agentic AI in 40+ warehouses as multi-vendor robot fleets grow
CJ Logistics America is deploying agentic AI across more than 40 warehouses using OneTrack's AiOn platform. According to PYMNTS, the software layer that coordinates robots from different…
logistics specialistThe software that coordinates multi-vendor robot fleets will be the deciding factor in warehouse expansions, so it should be written into procurement terms.case · United StatesAI GPU cluster responds to ERCOT peak-demand signal within a second
Luxor Energy and Bentaus have shown for the first time an AI GPU load cutting its consumption in response to an ERCOT 4CP signal. Reports say the response came within a second.
energy specialistAvoiding peak-period (4CP) charges by curtailing load can be a practical cost-cutting tool for large consumers.engineerRapid GPU load reduction depends on the control layer, so receiving grid signals and automatic response logic must be designed in.automation · AsiaSiemens launches Eigen Engineering Agent in Thailand for automation engineering
Siemens has launched the Eigen Engineering Agent in Thailand, bringing purpose-built industrial AI to automation engineering. The announcement was made on August 27.
engineerThe agent may take over part of automation engineering tasks, so it is worth assessing which PLC and design steps can be replaced.plant managerSuch tools can shorten engineering lead times, but deployment requires an output-verification process.robotics · AsiaXPeng's robotics unit raises over $900 million at a $6.3 billion valuation
XPeng's robotics business (Dogotix/XPeng Robotics) raised more than $900 million at a post-money valuation above $6.3 billion, China's largest embodied AI round. Among carmakers, Hyundai is testing…
plant managerCarmakers' humanoid programmes signal that the range of production-line robots will soon widen, so it is worth following the supplier offering.