interesting - I couldn't find the Times article but here is some early coverage from the Telegraph:16 February 2026 A British start-up is in talks with the Pentagon to build a floating nuclear reactor at a US military base as Donald Trump seeks new ways to power the AI revolution.The groundbreaking plant being considered by the Department of War is seen as a faster way of exploiting the technology because it would bypass normal regulatory processes.The reactor is being developed by Core Power, a Chiswick-based company that wants to make floating power plants alongside nuclear-powered container ships.In the UK, Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, recently excluded these types of floating reactors from a process to support advanced nuclear technologies because they present “novel” risks.But US officials are looking at deploying the first Core Power reactor at a military base as soon as 2028.This comes after the US president issued an executive order instructing Pentagon chiefs to accelerate the development of advanced nuclear technologies.It is understood they would be plugged in at a base but primarily used to generate power for the American electricity grid, which is coming under strain as more energy-hungry data centres are brought online to train AI software.Core Power is one of a handful of companies globally that are developing floating reactors, which could be moved to different waterside locations and plugged in to provide power for up to 60 years.Floating reactors are seen as attractive because, unlike land-based power plants, they would not require planning permission and can be built in factories, speeding up construction.Each one would have a capacity of about 300 megawatts, or enough to power around 300,000 homes.Data centre power consumption is expected to increase in the United StatesThe company was founded by former shipping executive Mikal Bøe and has partnered with Japanese and Korean shipbuilders, French nuclear giant Orano and Terrapower, the American mini-reactor start-up backed by Bill Gates.It plans to build hulls in Japan or Korea before sailing them to the US, where they will be fitted with nuclear reactors.The first demonstrator is not expected to use a Terrapower reactor and will use a proven type of pressurised water reactor instead.Core Power has argued the US “has the strongest starting position to compete in this race” because of its experience in operating nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.But at a recent summit with Trump administration officials and representatives from Congress, the company warned that rivals such as China were “biting at its heels”.Mr Bøe added at the time: “First-mover advantage cannot be underestimated, and the US can take the lead on the rules of the road.“As a trusted nuclear and maritime nation, America is uniquely credible to shape modern maritime nuclear standards and regulations that are safe, transparent, insurable and globally adoptable.”Mr Trump has backed nuclear technology in his second term as president, telling the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last month: “I’ve signed an order directing an approval of many new nuclear reactors. We are going heavy into nuclear.“I was not a big fan because I didn’t like the risk, the danger.“But the progress they’ve made with nuclear is unbelievable and the safety progress they’ve made is incredible. We’re very much into the world of nuclear energy and we can have it now at good prices.”His executive order informed Pentagon chiefs to examine how advanced nuclear technologies could be deployed at military sites and to have the first such reactor in place by September 2028.That is viewed as a highly ambitious timeline by the industry, but the effort has galvanised talks about how to commercialise the technology at a faster pace.Any reactor built on a military base would avoid having to go through an approvals process led by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which handles civil projects.Instead, it would be dealt with by specialist officials within the Pentagon who already deal with nuclear reactors in submarines and ships, as well as nuclear weapons.AI-driven power demand has surged so much in the US that tech companies such as ChatGPT owner OpenAI have been using modified jet engines as gas-fired power plants, because of long wait times for conventional turbines.Others, such as xAI owner Elon Musk, have suggested they could solve the problem by launching solar-powered data centres into space.The Pentagon was contacted for comment. A spokesman for Core Power declined to comment.
Jeremy Parkinson ● 21h