Why was the former uranium plant chosen?

The 3,700-acre Piketon site has existing heavy industrial infrastructure, and the DOE is actively repurposing it. AEP Ohio will invest $4.2B in grid upgrades. The choice reflects a strategy to convert Cold War-era assets into AI competitiveness.

How significant is the 10GW power demand?

10GW equals approximately 9 nuclear reactors, enough to power ~7.5 million homes. SB Energy will deploy distributed gas turbines generating 9.2GW with 800MW reserve capacity.

Where does the $500B funding come from?

Funding comes from SoftBank Group and external financing through a 21-company US-Japan consortium including Toshiba, Hitachi, Mizuho Bank, and Goldman Sachs, as part of a $550B bilateral strategic investment framework.

SoftBank Plans $500B AI Data Center at Former Ohio Uranium Site, Largest Single-Site Investment in History

SoftBank announces a 10GW mega-scale AI data center at Ohio's former Portsmouth uranium enrichment plant. The $500B investment spans data center infrastructure ($30-40B) and a natural gas power plant ($33B). A 21-company US-Japan consortium supports the project, with first turbines expected within a year and Phase 1 completion by early 2028. The project is part of a $550B US-Japan strategic investment initiative linked to OpenAI's Stargate.

SoftBank's $500B Ohio AI Data Center: When Energy Meets AI

Largest Single-Site Investment in History

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son announced plans in March 2026 to build a 10GW mega-scale AI data center at Ohio's former Piketon uranium enrichment plant, with total investment projected at $500 billion—potentially the largest single-site investment in human history.

The project encompasses data center infrastructure ($30-40B) and a supporting natural gas power plant (~$33B). SB Energy will deploy distributed gas turbines generating 9.2GW with 800MW reserve capacity. The 10GW power demand equals approximately 9 nuclear reactors.

US-Japan Strategic Alliance

A 21-company US-Japan consortium (Portsmouth Consortium) including Toshiba, Hitachi, Mizuho Bank, and Goldman Sachs will support construction. The project falls under a $550B US-Japan strategic investment framework, linked to OpenAI's Stargate initiative. AEP Ohio will invest $4.2B in transmission grid upgrades.

Controversies and Challenges

Environmental groups criticize building massive fossil fuel power plants amid climate change. Residents worry about environmental legacy at the former nuclear site. Energy analysts question whether 10GW demand is overly optimistic. The $500B figure spans 20 years, with SoftBank's actual contribution ratio unclear.

Global Data Center Arms Race

This project epitomizes the global AI data center boom. Power supply has become AI expansion's biggest bottleneck, with nuclear, geothermal, and advanced storage emerging as alternatives, though natural gas remains the most practical short-term option.

In-Depth Analysis and Industry Outlook

From a broader perspective, this development reflects the accelerating trend of AI technology transitioning from laboratories to industrial applications. Industry analysts widely agree that 2026 will be a pivotal year for AI commercialization. On the technical front, large model inference efficiency continues to improve while deployment costs decline, enabling more SMEs to access advanced AI capabilities. On the market front, enterprise expectations for AI investment returns are shifting from long-term strategic value to short-term quantifiable gains. However, the rapid proliferation of AI also brings new challenges: increasing complexity of data privacy protection, growing demands for AI decision transparency, and difficulties in cross-border AI governance coordination. Regulatory authorities across multiple countries are closely monitoring these developments, attempting to balance innovation promotion with risk prevention. For investors, identifying AI companies with truly sustainable competitive advantages has become increasingly critical as the market transitions from hype to value validation. This trend is expected to deepen over the coming years, profoundly impacting the global technology industry landscape. The convergence of AI with other emerging technologies such as quantum computing, biotechnology, and robotics is creating entirely new market opportunities that did not exist even two years ago.