شركات التكنولوجيا العملاقة تشتري استقلاليتها بالمواد الخام والطاقة

Microsoft’s announcement at the end September (نافذة جديدة)shows how this new world is becoming a reality. Bill Gates’ company is funding the reopening in 2019 of an American nuclear power station. Microsoft will invest 1.4 billion Euros in the project that will produce 835 Megawatts by 2028. It is the equivalent of the electricity consumption for 800,000 households.

Larry Ellison revealed in early September that his new data center would have more than one gigawatt electrical power. This was to support the artificial intelligence (AI) models of Oracle’s customers. It will also be able to house three small nuclear reactors.

A growing appetite for nuclear power in the USA

This phenomenon is even more remarkable, as the nuclear industry has been stopped since 1979, when the Three Mile Island plant, located in Pennsylvania and near Microsoft’s chosen site, suffered a catastrophic accident.

Amazon will be able to officially announce its location in March 2024, next to the 6th largest power plant of the United States. By contracting, Amazon will be able to secure up to 900 Megawatts from the 2,5 Gigawatts that the power plant in question can produce. Open AI, publisher of ChatGPT admits that it is also seeking to access nuclear infrastructures. These major groups communicate about the complementary use of solar or wind energy. They also need to take environmental commitments.

Microsoft’s report on sustainable development in spring 2024 showed that CO2 emissions had risen by 30 percent from 2023 to 2020. Google saw CO2 emissions rise by 13% and 48 % since 2019 at Google.

Towards control of strategic supplies

They are conscious of the fact that their infrastructure is dependent on electricity. The manufacturers want their own operating autonomy. It is worth it to preempt a growing share of energy resources.

It is a sign of new development in the energy industry.

It also signals a new focus on other sources of strategic supply. For example, access to cooling water. Raw materials such as copper. Data centers are responsible for about 1% of the copper consumption today. By 2050, this could increase to as much as 6 or 7 percent.

The International Energy Agency (نافذة جديدة) estimates that the adoption of artificial intelligence by 2030 will result in an annual increase of demand for copper of one million tonnes.

حلول الأتمتة المدعومة بـ OpenAI