A micro-modular nuclear reactor developer with global headquarters in Italy and a U.S. corporate office in Pennsylvania said it has been selected to deploy its equipment for data center infrastructure in Latin America and Brazil.
Terra Innovatum Global N.V. on July 20 said Latin American technomedia group Waiken ILW has selected Terra Innovatum’s SOLO micro-modular reactor platform for an initial deployment that will support DIRECTV Latin America and SKY Brasil (Jaguariúna). The companies said they have a letter of intent that covers up to 8 MWe of behind-the-meter power generation capacity.
“This initiative aims to provide reliable, behind-the-meter clean energy solutions for Waiken ILW’s data centers while serving as a proof of concept for other long-term, energy-intensive operations within the Waiken ILW group of companies,” said Alessandro Petruzzi, co-founder and CEO at Terra Innovatum. “Critical communications infrastructure demands uninterrupted, resilient power. We believe this agreement demonstrates the growing commercial opportunity for behind-the-meter nuclear energy beyond AI data centers, extending into media, telecommunications and other critical infrastructure sectors.”
The agreement represents Terra Innovatum’s first announced commercial deployment initiative in Latin America. The company said it reflects growing international demand for standardized, factory-built micro-modular nuclear power.
Years of Development
The SOLO technology was conceptualized in 2018. It was engineered across a six-year period. Terra Innovatum said SOLO “addresses pressing global energy demands with a market-ready solution. Built from readily available commercial off-the-shelf components, the proven licensing path for SOLO enables rapid deployment and minimizes supply chain risks, ensuring final cost predictability.”
The company said the micro-modular reactor is “designed to adapt with evolving fuel options … SOLO supports both LEU+ and HALEU, offering a platform ready to transition to future fuel supplies.”
Giordano Morichi, founding partner, chief business development officer and director of investor relations for the company said, “This strategic collaboration with Waiken ILW highlights the commercial strength of our global supply chain and the versatility of our SOLO technology. The agreement demonstrates that SOLO is not designed for a single market, rather it is a platform that can scale across multiple industries and geographies, including telecommunications, cloud infrastructure and data centers, financial services, healthcare, industrial facilities and other mission-critical operations.”
Range of Applications
SOLO is expected to serve a range of applications. The technology can provide emissions-free behind-the-meter and off-grid power solutions for data centers, mini-grids serving remote towns and villages, and large-scale industrial operations in hard-to-abate sectors such as cement production, oil and gas, steel manufacturing, and mining, according to Terra Innovatum. The company said the technology “also has the ability to supply heat for industrial applications and other specialized processes, including water treatment, desalination and co-generation.
“Thanks to its modular design, SOLO can easily scale to deliver up to 1 GW or more of CO2-free power with a minimal footprint, making it an ideal solution for rapidly replacing fossil fuel-based thermal plants,” the company wrote in a news release. “Beyond electricity and heat generation, SOLO can also contribute to critical applications in the medical sector by producing radioisotopes essential for oncology research and cancer treatment.”
“We partner with Terra Innovatum Global to drive a forward-looking energy strategy that reinforces our long-standing commitment to innovation, sustainability, and technological excellence across all our companies and partners,” said Carlos Magariños, chief of global and regulatory strategy for Waiken ILW. “This alliance will strengthen our infrastructure by delivering reliable, behind-the-meter clean energy to DIRECTV’s and SKY’s broadcasting data centers, paving the way for a cleaner, more resilient, and self-sustaining energy future across Argentina, Brazil, and the broader region.”
The companies on Monday said agreement represents Terra Innovatum’s first announced commercial deployment initiative in Latin America, “and reflects growing international demand for standardized, factory-built micro-modular nuclear power. With an enhanced safety profile, including non-proliferant fuel, and standardized factory production, Terra Innovatum can address demand for clean and reliable energy infrastructure across the world.”
Waiken ILW is a technomedia group with operations in Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Curaçao, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and other markets.
Terra Innovatum said it anticipates its SOLO technology will be available globally within the next three years.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
