WHY NUCLEAR FOR AI
Availability: >90% capacity factor vs 25-35% solar/wind
Cost (France): €50–70/MWh · predictable · not linked to gas markets
Carbon: 58 gCO2/kWh — compatible with hyperscaler sustainability targets
Scale: France nuclear fleet ~400 TWh/year · sufficient for multi-GW AI compute deployment
Comparison: US gas $60–90/MWh (variable) · Germany €90–120/MWh · UK £80–110/MWh
FRANCE NUCLEAR — AVAILABLE NOW
France operates the largest nuclear fleet in Europe. Meta signed a 20-year, 1.1 GW nuclear PPA in the US in 2025. In France, equivalent arrangements are available today through EDF bilateral PPAs and the ARENH mechanism, with pricing structurally lower than US equivalents. SoftBank confirmed France's nuclear advantage in choosing Hauts-de-France for 3.1 GW of AI infrastructure.
SMRS — REAL BUT NOT YET
Jensen Huang has stated that companies will operate their own SMRs within 6-7 years. This is technically credible but not actionable before 2032-2035. NuScale's first major project was cancelled. Oklo's data center commitments remain largely non-binding. Nuclear developer timelines consistently underestimate licensing, construction and fuel procurement lead times.
For any project targeting commissioning before 2030, SMRs are not a viable power sourcing strategy. France's existing nuclear fleet is.
RELATED PAGES
France Power Availability · Electricity Pricing for AI · AI Data Center France
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Request Grid Assessment →GridReadiness · frederic_arn@yahoo.fr · June 2026