Issue 10
Viewpoint
energy · United States
Google to buy 890 MW of nuclear power from Constellation for AI data centres
Google has signed a long-term nuclear power agreement with Constellation under which it will buy 890 megawatts of power for its AI data centres, with headlines putting the deal's value at $1bn. The news appeared on 5–6 October and is part of a broader nuclear shift among US big tech companies.
Who is affected and how
- energy specialist
- The baseload, long-term power purchase agreement has become the key to securing data-centre capacity, so one's own PPA strategy should be measured against it.
- supplier
- Data-centre investments tied to nuclear plants represent new, long-term demand for suppliers of electrical and cooling equipment.
investment · global
Schneider Electric to acquire PTC for $22.6 billion
Schneider Electric announced on 5 October that it will acquire PTC for $22.6 billion to expand its industrial AI portfolio. According to RCR Wireless, the network layer is missing from the…
plant managerIndustrial software and automation suppliers are consolidating, so it is worth reviewing supplier dependencies and contracts.engineerThe effect of the combined portfolio on the integration of engineering and manufacturing software is worth following over the coming months.energy · United StatesUS data centre connection requests top 700 GW, and the grid cannot cope
Proposed data centre connection requests in the US exceed 700 GW, more than ten times the estimated current data centre consumption. Utilities must plan for a load that could reach up to 12 percent…
energy specialistGrid capacity has become a bottleneck, so connection requests and self-generation alternatives need to be scheduled early.plant managerIndustrial power consumers should review their own expansion plans in light of grid upgrade costs and connection queues.survey · globalFive million industrial robots now work in factories as Europe falls behind, IFR says
IFR President Jane Heffner says industrial automation is advancing quickly, with the number of operating robots reaching five million. According to the IFR analysis of 5 October, global robot sales…
plant managerEurope's lag behind competitors' level of automation amounts to a cost disadvantage, which is worth factoring into investment plans.SME ownerGrowth in the robot market may mean wider purchasing options.data centre · globalData centre water use: AWS chief calls it low, other reports say it is high
Matt Garman, CEO of AWS, says a typical data centre uses on average about 170,000 gallons a day, which is little compared with other industries. Other articles say large facilities can use up to 5…
engineerThe water demand of the cooling concept (evaporative, direct-to-chip, immersion) has become a permitting and local acceptance issue.energy specialistChoosing the cooling technology is a trade-off between water and power use, which must be weighed at site selection.Hungary
data centreAI data centre worth €8 million planned in Szászrégen, TransylvaniasupplierConstruction, electrical and cooling suppliers should assess whether they can join the contractor chain of the Transylvanian project.energy specialistA new, high-demand power consumer appearing in the region may affect local grid capacity and connection plans.automationHungarian robotics demo shows AI-guided part handling as answer to labour shortageSME ownerBased on the demo, a bulk-part handling robot cell is a solution that can be tried out against the labour shortage.plant managerRobot deployment must be planned around the processes of the whole plant, not individual cells.data centreData centres could use up to 11% of Poland's energy, report saysenergy specialistThe regional scenario can serve as a benchmark for grid expansion needs and connection plans.factoryNestlé's Büki plant adds 390 jobs, and a robot dog appears at the openingskilled workerThe 390 new jobs offer an opportunity on the regional labour market, with skills suited to an automated environment.logistics specialistThe fully automated high-bay warehouse is reshaping the structure of warehouse work.caseHungarian auto industry conferences: speed of AI and innovation decides competitivenessplant managerThe speed of AI-based decision-making is becoming a competitive factor, so putting the use of production data on the agenda is worthwhile.supplierFor automotive suppliers, the speed of innovation also shows up in their customers' expectations.caseInterview with a Hungarian welding shop on how AI and people work togetherSME ownerFor smaller manufacturers, a Hungarian welding shop's example is a real benchmark for AI adoption.skilled workerThe collaboration between AI and welders in the workshop shows how skilled tasks are changing.automationHungarian engineering firm automates brewery logistics, another builds automotive machinerySME ownerThe examples of Hungarian machine builders and integrators show which customer markets can be reached through automation.engineerBrewery logistics and purpose-built machine manufacturing require integration expertise.caseMachinery roadshow in Debrecen covers defence supplier opportunities and industrial AIsupplierDefence-industry supplier opportunities may open a new customer base for machinery firms.SME ownerDemonstrations of industrial AI applications offer guidance for adoption decisions.
More key stories of the week
robotics · global
NVIDIA Omniverse: AI agents build simulations, SimReady assets for robotics
NVIDIA has deployed AI agents to build Omniverse simulations (8 October), and its technical blog sets out five steps for creating SimReady assets for robotics. According to NVIDIA, Omniverse has been…
engineerFree access to virtual prototyping and simulation tools makes it possible to test robot cells and production lines virtually at an earlier stage.plant managerDeployment based on digital twins can reduce the risk of production line changeovers.factory · European UnionSiemens names Erlangen plant blueprint for AI-driven factories, rolls out AI quality inspection with P&G
Siemens has designated its own Erlangen plant as the blueprint for AI-driven factories (5 October) and, according to Pivot News, is investing €1 billion in industrial AI. Together with Procter &…
plant managerAI-based visual quality inspection is becoming standard among large manufacturers, so it is worth benchmarking your own defect rates against it.engineerThe reference plant offers a template for the architecture of industrial AI deployments.data centre · globalNVIDIA uses digital twins and AI agents to validate AI factory changes; DSX Ready joins blueprint
NVIDIA is using digital twins and AI agents to validate changes to AI factories (7 October), and the DSX Ready blueprint brings power and cooling systems into the reference design (8 October). Jacobs…
engineerIn data center design, power and cooling simulation should be handled together with the compute layer.energy specialistUnder the reference design, power and cooling are an integral part of the AI factory, so supplier specifications need to be aligned with it.case · European UnionGerman AI startup boom offsets industrial decline as debate over Europe's industrial legacy grows
According to a Reuters report of 6 October, German industry may be in a nosedive while the AI-driven startup sector is showing record growth. Another analysis asks whether Europe's industrial legacy…
engineerWith industrial jobs declining, AI startups represent a new market for engineers with industrial expertise.SME ownerThe convergence of the industrial and startup ecosystems opens up new partnership opportunities.energy · United States'Bring your own power' on-site generation spreads among AI data centres
AI data centres are increasingly generating their own power: Wärtsilä is supplying a 282 MW on-site power plant to a US data centre (5 October), while analysts examine the effects on the grid…
energy specialistOn-site gas capacity is fast to deploy, but its grid and health consequences carry permitting and community risks.supplierFor suppliers of engine- and turbine-based on-site power plants, data centre demand is a new market niche.roboticsUltra raises $62 million for 'robots as a service' business, ties up with Physical Intelligence
Ultra raised $62 million and announced a partnership with the AI research firm Physical Intelligence (9 October). The company offers robots as a service.
plant managerRobots available as a service offer an alternative way to automate without upfront capital investment.SME ownerA monthly-fee robot model could lower the entry barrier to automation.investment · globalTeradyne invests in Bright Machines to speed up AI infrastructure manufacturing
Teradyne has invested in Bright Machines and will integrate its robotics and testing technologies into the company's smart manufacturing platform (5–6 October). The aim is to speed up production of…
plant managerIntegrating robotic assembly and testing into a single platform is a new model for expanding capacity in electronics manufacturing.engineerDesigning production-line testing and robotics together is becoming an expectation in AI hardware manufacturing.case · European UnionBMW to cut 20 percent of management as it expands use of AI
BMW is cutting 20 percent of its management ranks as part of a wider use of AI, Motor1 reported on October 5. Other analyses link BMW's margin recovery to AI on the factory floor.
plant managerAI is also reshaping the tasks of middle management, so organizational structures need to be rethought.engineerLinking factory-floor AI to margins raises the business-return expectations placed on engineering projects.factory · globalSolid-state batteries for data centers: ProLogium and QuantumScape make their moves
ProLogium has begun mass production of a 381 Wh/kg solid-state battery, with data centers, aviation and shipping among its targets. QuantumScape announced its first data center product on October 8.
energy specialistBattery backup and buffering in data center power supply is opening up to new cell technologies.engineerHigh-energy-density cells are changing the design parameters of rack-level and backup power supply.automation · European UnionZalando, Sereact and CEVA Logistics start AI-powered automated returns handling in Germany and Poland
Sereact, Zalando and CEVA Logistics have launched AI-powered, automated returns handling in Germany and Poland (9 October). The systems operate on a robotics-as-a-service model.
logistics specialistReturns processing, one of the most manual-labour-intensive parts of logistics, can also be automated with robots rented as a service.SME ownerThe pay-per-service model may also appear among the logistics partners of smaller web shops.data centre · globalTrendForce: global data centre power demand to reach 161 GW in 2026
TrendForce's forecast of 7 October says global data centre power demand capacity will reach 161 GW in 2026, up 31 percent year on year, mainly because of AI servers. Cloud providers are accelerating…
energy specialistThe 31 percent annual growth is a baseline figure for generation and grid capacity planning.supplierDemand for power supply and cooling equipment can be expected to keep growing.energy · United StatesFlexible data centre power use could save grids billions, but scaling is uncertain
Data centre demand response, which curbs grid load during tight periods, has so far been delivered mainly through pilot projects and one-off agreements, including one signed by OpenAI. Virginia's new…
energy specialistFlexible load can be a way to secure grid connection faster, so load control should be built in at the design stage.In brief
roboticsHyundai and Boston Dynamics bet big on AI-based robot training for manufacturingplant managerTraining of production-line robots is increasingly AI-based, so deployment time and the required expertise need to be factored in.engineerRobot training methodology is shifting from programming to teaching and simulation.factoryFoxconn's September revenue tops NT$1 trillion for the first time on AI server demandsupplierGrowth in AI server manufacturing signals lasting demand across the electronic components and assembly supply chain.caseWho owns what robots learn? The next fight in automation contractsplant managerRobot supplier contracts should separately specify ownership and use of production-line learning data.SME ownerFor robots that learn from a company's own process data, clarifying data rights protects a competitive advantage.investmentHaDEA announces €576 million in Horizon Europe calls for industry, AI and digital technologySME ownerThe industry and AI calls could bring EU funding for research and development projects; the conditions are worth reviewing.engineerIndustrial AI topics offer a chance to look for consortium partners.data centreBatam, Sarawak and Vietnam: AI data centers and the limits of power supplyenergy specialistGigawatt-scale plans make power supply capacity and grid development key factors in the region.caseUS opposition to data centres grows, but Goldman says it will not halt expansionplant managerFor industrial facilities locating near data centres, local opposition and the time needed for permitting must also be factored in.supply chainTD SYNNEX and Siemens launch global distribution partnership for industrial AISME ownerThe distribution channel may open a new route to buying Siemens' industrial AI solutions.automationLogistics Reply introduces governed AI agent model for warehouse executionlogistics specialistGoverned management of AI agents' warehouse permissions will become a condition of deployment.survey2026 3PL study highlights AI adoption, freight fraud and supply chain disruptionlogistics specialistFreight fraud and AI use together point to an area for improvement in carrier vetting.energyIndia's AI data centers strain the power grid and raise upgrade costsenergy specialistRising grid development costs matter when planning PPAs and connection fees.energyCrusoe abandons $1.25 billion plan to use Boom turbines at AI data centresenergy specialistOn-site power plans built on new, unconventional turbine types are risky, so a fallback scenario is worth keeping.data centreLG becomes NVIDIA's key partner in AI data center coolingengineerThe cooling units' capacity steps (2.6 MW, then 4 MW) influence design capacity choices.energy specialistHigh-capacity, qualified cooling units fit into data center energy-efficiency calculations.supply chainAI gold rush reshapes trans-Pacific trade and logisticslogistics specialistThe routes and volumes of AI hardware shipments matter for planning ocean and air capacity.investmentEmera to buy Canadian Utilities for $14.3 billion in deal tied to AI power demandenergy specialistUtility-sector consolidation is accelerating on AI demand, so contracts with utility partners are worth reviewing.data centreTech consortium launches National Compute Grid to share idle data center capacitySME ownerSharing idle computing capacity could mean cheaper access for smaller AI developers.energyTrump's AI and energy dominance agenda could mean costlier LNG for Asiaenergy specialistCost risk for gas-based generation may come through LNG prices.factoryAtomic Machines emerges from stealth with $250 million for AI-native micro-machine manufacturingengineerCode-to-manufacturing systems point to a new paradigm in production planning and are worth watching.caseSouth Korean port deploys AI and digital twins to prevent accidentslogistics specialistThe port's digital twin for accident prevention is a reference for safety planning at logistics hubs.automationFirst Supply deploys Exotec robots to speed up warehouse picking tenfoldlogistics specialistTogether, vertical storage and robotic picking promise an order-of-magnitude improvement in warehouse throughput.energyResearchers say AI can help protect the power grid from AI-driven attacksenergy specialistIn grid protection, AI-based detection is presented as a response to attackers' use of AI.roboticsRobCo valuation passes $1 billion; Minerva Humanoids raises about $10 millionplant managerCapital flowing into industrial robotics startups widens the range of suppliers.SME ownerNew entrants could help small and medium-sized businesses buy robotic automation at an affordable price.caseSenate report accuses big tech of misleading the public on AI data centre costsenergy specialistThe dispute over how costs are allocated may also affect utility tariffs and the contract terms for data centres.data centreNew 230 MW data centre to be built in Finlandenergy specialistThe 230 MW project is another example of using northern European grid capacity.surveyAI infrastructure build-out further tightens supply of skilled trades workersskilled workerBuilding AI infrastructure is raising demand for skilled trades, which can improve workers' bargaining position.plant managerCompetition for skilled trades from data centre construction can affect labour costs and construction deadlines.factoryVIS considers second Singapore semiconductor fab as AI demand growssupplierThe capacity expansion could also affect the market for equipment and materials suppliers to chipmaking.caseIndustrial AI reaches Kazakhstan's factories, but many projects remain experimentalplant managerThe gap between pilots and actual production-line operation offers lessons from others' experience.automationStäubli robots and AI inspect 100,000 peaches an hour at Greek processing plantplant managerRobotic sorting inspection with visual AI in food processing can serve as a high-throughput model.