March 17th, 2026 | 08:00 CET
AI and Nuclear Power: Solid Returns with Meta and Intel – High-Flying Opportunity: Standard Uranium
Future economic growth will depend heavily on the availability of reliable, low-carbon baseload power. The high energy demands of technology companies driven by AI innovations are contributing to a renewed interest in nuclear power. The reasons go far beyond previous environmental visions. As studies by McKinsey and PwC show, the AI industry is growing by 15 to 20% annually through 2030. To avoid falling behind, companies like Meta and Intel are investing billions in a completely new AI infrastructure. Through partnerships with players like Oklo and TerraPower, Meta is driving the development of a 6.6 GW nuclear campus to operate its AI superclusters in a climate-neutral manner. Intel is focusing on optimizing energy efficiency directly at the chip level, as the power consumption of modern racks has risen to up to 120 kW. To satisfy the hunger for nuclear fuel, Standard Uranium is driving the search for tomorrow's safe deposits forward with its ambitious winter drilling program. For investors, the current trend offers opportunities - we show where the greatest leverage lies.
time to read: 3 minutes
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Author:
Nico Popp
ISIN:
META PLATFORMS INC | US30303M1027 | NASDAQ: META , INTEL CORP. DL-_001 | US4581401001 , STANDARD URANIUM LTD | CA85422Q8487 | TSXV: STND , OTCQB: STTDF
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"[...] Recovery rates of more than 90% rare earths are another piece of the puzzle on the way to the economic viability of our project. [...]" Craig Taylor, CEO, Defense Metals
Author
Nico Popp
At home in Southern Germany, the passionate stock exchange expert has been accompanying the capital markets for about twenty years. With a soft spot for smaller companies, he is constantly on the lookout for exciting investment stories.
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Meta Secures Nuclear Baseload for AI Expansion
Meta Platforms reported fourth-quarter revenue of USD 59.9 billion, representing a 24% year-over-year increase. The advertising division's operating margin exceeded 52%, significantly funding the ongoing infrastructure expansion. For the 2026 fiscal year, management plans investments ranging from USD 115 billion to USD 135 billion. The focus is on the Prometheus supercluster in Ohio, with a target capacity of 1 GW. Meta recently secured access to up to 6.6 GW of nuclear capacity through several long-term agreements. The deals include specific partnerships with Vistra for 2.6 GW from existing plants, with Oklo for a 1.2 GW nuclear campus, and an additional 2.8 GW from TerraPower. Current figures show that Meta's strategy may be on the right track. In the final quarter, Meta posted a net profit of USD 22.77 billion and increased earnings per share to USD 8.88.
Intel Is Making Its Chips More Energy-Efficient
Intel supplies semiconductors for data centers and reported consolidated revenue of USD 13.7 billion for the fourth quarter of 2025. The Data Center & AI segment recorded strong revenue growth of 15% to USD 4.7 billion, driven primarily by the new Gaudi 3 accelerators and Xeon 6 processors. Modern server facilities achieve power consumption of up to 120 kW per rack, which is many times the 20 kW found in conventional data centers. Intel is addressing this challenge with innovations such as the Lunar Lake architecture, which reduces power consumption by 40%. With partners like Vertiv, the company is also reducing energy requirements for cooling by 30%. The sale of USD 5 billion worth of Intel common stock to NVIDIA further strengthened the balance sheet, securing Intel's ongoing turnaround.
Standard Uranium Aims to Supply the Fuel for the AI Revolution
The uranium market is currently experiencing a structural deficit of 5.8 to 6.7 million lbs, which temporarily drove the spot price above USD 100 and is currently consolidating slightly below that level. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that demand for uranium could rise to as much as 204,000 tonnes by 2040. Standard Uranium is positioned in Canada's Athabasca Basin and operates as a project generator. The company mitigates the financial risk of exploration through earn-in agreements with partners such as Aventis Energy and Collective Metals. In February, Standard Uranium launched the winter drilling program at the Corvo Project, with 2,500 to 3,000 m of drilling planned. A key focus is on the Manhattan Zone, where initial surface samples yielded high-grade surface samples of 8.10% uranium (U3O8). At the same time, the debt-free company is tackling the Rocas Project, where 1,200 to 1,500 m of drilling at a depth of 100 to 200 m is planned for the first phase. Drilling on the flagship Davidson River Project will follow in the spring.
Standard Uranium offers Strategic Investment Prospects in the Energy Supercycle
The race for energy, driven by technological developments, offers investors opportunities in a market whose volume is estimated by analysts to rise to USD 60.5 billion by 2030. Market leader Meta is considered a solid core investment, supported by extremely strong cash flows from the digital advertising business. At the same time, however, the many billion-dollar investments in AI infrastructure also call for caution. Intel currently represents a turnaround bet supported by technological innovations - yet the investment case remains fragile. As a junior explorer, Standard Uranium offers investors direct commodity leverage at the beginning of the value chain. Since uranium has been officially classified as a critical mineral in the US and the global production deficit persists, the ongoing drilling program offers the potential for a significant re-rating. Analysts at Bank of America and Goldman Sachs see uranium prices ranging from USD 80 to USD 150 in the future. Even though Standard Uranium, with a market capitalization of just under CAD 15 million, must be considered speculative, the company can offer speculative investors substantial leverage on rising uranium prices.
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