Data centres: Stellaria and Equinix announce a pre-order agreement for electricity produced by the first breed and burn SMR

Stellaria, the French start-up specialising in fast neutron and molten salt nuclear reactors, originating from the CEA and Schneider Electricannounces a pre-order agreement with Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), a global digital infrastructure company. Under this agreement, Equinix data centres will benefit from the energy autonomy of the world’s first breed and burn nuclear reactor, enabling sustainable and decarbonized artificial intelligence capabilities.

A response to the alarming forecast for future energy demand

According to a report by the International Energy Agency, global electricity consumption is expected to grow by 4% per year by 2027 — the fastest pace seen in recent years. This surge in results is from a combination of factors: unprecedented electrification, the expansion of data centres to support the development of artificial intelligence, and a rebound in industrial production. This growing demand is likely to put pressure on energy suppliers to produce sufficient electricity and is already straining ageing grids responsible for its distribution. To meet this demand and sustain growth, the global energy network will need to rely on new sources of power..

A pre-order agreement for 500 MW of power

The agreement between Stellaria and Equinix is part of several Equinix initiatives in the field of alternative energy. In August, the company announced collaborations with five energy providers, including Stellaria in France, to support the growth of its AI-Ready data centers. Thus, Equinix has secured the first power capacity reservation on the Stellarium, the reactor that Stellaria plans to deploy starting in 2035.

Stellarium's offering for Equinix data centres

By signing this pre-order agreement, Stellaria, through its renewable fuel reactor Stellarium, will provide Equinix's AI-Ready data centres with:

• An carbon free and controllable energy solution for fully energy autonomous Equinix’s data centre operations;
• Enhanced safety, with no exclusion zone required thanks to its underground design, atmospheric-pressure operation, and liquid core;
• Rapid adaptation to load variations: the liquid core makes the reactor extremely flexible and able to adjust to the required power at any time;
• Fuel regeneration, through its infinite reuse, partly derived from waste from current nuclear plants;
• An increased sustainability, enabled by its multi-fuel supply.

“We chose Stellaria because it is one of the few companies in the world capable of making our high-performance AI data centres energy resilient, while combining high security and flexibility,” said Régis Castagne, Managing Director, Equinix France.“Their Stellariums natively generate 250 MWe of clean energy and uniquely consume their own waste, eliminating the need for on-site storage and addressing a major operational challenge. This breakthrough will allow Equinix to operate with secure, carbon-free energy 24/7. It represents a major step forward in building the next generation of sustainable digital infrastructure.”

“The signing of this first contract is an important milestone for Stellaria. It sends a strong signal to the sector and proves that our roadmap is credible, with the deployment of our Stellariums planned for 2035. The digital sector is fully engaged in the sustainability to reduce environmental impact: this contract lays the foundation for lifetime energy autonomous data centres, and we are proud to support a major player like Equinix in this project,” said Nicolas Breyton, CEO of Stellaria..

Why is Equinix choosing us?

Founded in 1998, Equinix has been driving innovation through large-scale interconnection through an extensive network of data centers around the world. Present on six continents, the company operates more than 270 data centers in the 77 major metropolitan areas around the world. Equinix data centers are currently covered by 100% renewable energy in Europe, and the company is investing significantly in renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) in France. Equinix is now expanding its energy portfolio to support the development of reliable and sustainable nuclear electricity to power its high-performance AI data centers with Stellaria.

*Uranium 235, Uranium 238, Plutonium 239.