Crusoe and Aalo Atomics plan a nuclear-powered AI data center with a 2027 pilot

Crusoe and Aalo Atomics said on July 30 they will partner to deploy what they describe as the first nuclear-powered AI data center, starting with a 2027 proof-of-concept at Idaho National Laboratory.

The proof-of-concept will pair Aalo’s Pod reactor with a single Crusoe Spark modular data center running the company’s Crusoe Cloud service, the companies said. The pitch addresses the tightest constraint in AI infrastructure: securing reliable power without waiting years for a grid connection.

The Aalo Pod combines five Aalo-1 microreactors, each rated at 10 megawatts of electric output, with a single turbine for 50 megawatts total. The companies intend to deploy multiple Aalo Pods and 50-megawatt extra-modular reactor plants at Crusoe data centers by the end of 2029.

The announcement follows Aalo reaching criticality – the point at which a reactor sustains a nuclear chain reaction – under the US Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, one of four participants to do so.

The plans remain early. The 2027 demonstration involves a single reactor paired with a single data center, and advanced nuclear projects routinely face regulatory review and construction delays that can push timelines well past their targets. The 2029 buildout depends on the pilot working first.