The boss of Amazon Web Services (AWS) has called for a major expansion of nuclear energy in the UK to meet soaring power demand from data centres needed for artificial intelligence.
Speaking to the BBC, AWS chief executive Matt Garman said nuclear was “a great solution” to support the UK’s digital future, describing it as “an excellent source of zero carbon, 24/7 power”.
AWS, the cloud computing arm of Amazon, is planning to invest £8 billion in new British data centres over the next four years.
Data centres are energy-hungry facilities that power AI, streaming and digital services, with a single site capable of using as much energy as a small town.
Garman said AWS is already planning “many years out” to manage rising energy demand. “I think the world is going to have to build new technologies,” he said. “I believe nuclear is a big part of that particularly as we look 10 years out.”
The UK currently has around 500 data centres consuming 2.5% of the country’s electricity.
That figure could rise to 6% by 2030.
AWS is the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable power, backing more than 40 wind and solar projects in the UK – but says more firm capacity like nuclear is essential.
Amazon is already working with companies in the US to explore the use of small modular reactors (SMRs) — a new generation of nuclear units roughly the size of a football stadium. The firm is seen as a natural customer for Rolls Royce’s SMR programme in the UK.
