Amentum selected for Savannah River AI project

The public-private project would establish a 1 GW data centre, initially powered by natural gas bridging to advanced nuclear energy. The project supports the goal of using Federal lands to lower energy costs and help power the global AI race, as outlined in the Executive Orders on Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security, and Unleashing American Energy signed by President Donald Trump last year.

The Savannah River Site was one of 16 potential sites identified by the US Department of Energy in April 2025 as being uniquely positioned for rapid data centre construction. Four of those - Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Savannah River Site - were then selected to move forward with plans to invite private sector partners to develop AI data centre and energy generation projects. Separate requests for proposals for each site were issued by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in September.

"This proposed partnership represents an opportunity to strengthen America's leadership in artificial intelligence, expand reliable energy generation, and strengthen our national security," NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams said. "By working with the private sector, we can move faster, apply innovative technologies, and make productive use of federal land while maintaining our commitment to mission delivery."

Through the proposed project, the NNSA and Amentum intend to rapidly construct a data centre supported by sufficient on-site power generation while increasing the availability of power to the grid; accelerate the development of AI and energy infrastructure; and use public-private partnerships to advance innovative technologies and strategies. Pairing new AI infrastructure with dedicated on-site energy generation will help ensure the project's electricity needs are met without shifting costs to existing utility customers, according to the NNSA.

"Artificial intelligence, energy resilience, and national security are becoming increasingly interconnected, creating new opportunities to strengthen America's strategic advantage," Amentum CEO John Heller said. "Amentum is uniquely positioned at that intersection, combining deep engineering expertise, trusted mission execution, and decades of partnership with the US government. This agreement gives us the opportunity to partner with the NNSA to deliver infrastructure that will help power the technologies shaping our nation's future."

Digital infrastructure provider DC BLOX has been selected as a digital infrastructure partner in the development consortium. DC BLOX, alongside Milliken & Company, Google and Nucor, is a founding member of the Palmetto Nuclear Coalition, an alliance dedicated to accelerating nuclear energy deployment across South Carolina which was launched in July 2025. 

The Savannah River Site was built in the 1950s to produce materials such as tritium and plutonium-239 for use in nuclear weapons, with five nuclear reactors and support facilities including two chemical separations plants. It produced about 36 tonnes of plutonium from 1953 to 1988. Today, the Department of Energy complex is responsible for environmental stewardship, environmental cleanup, nuclear waste management and disposition of nuclear materials. The 310 square mile (803 square kilometres) site is also home to the NNSA Savannah River Field Office, the Savannah River National Laboratory, the University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, and the USDA Forest Service Savannah River along with several major contractors.