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Alibaba is one of the China’s largest cloud service providers, operating around 15 cloud regions and 59 availability zones across mainland China and Hong Kong
In sum – what to know:
Tech meets nuclear in China – Alibaba has formed a joint venture with CNNC, one of the world’s largest nuclear operators, highlighting growing links between energy infrastructure and digital growth.
AI power demand in focus – The partnership could support Alibaba’s expanding cloud and AI footprint, which spans 15 regions and 59 availability zones across China and Hong Kong.
China’s nuclear scale advantage – CNNC’s fleet exceeds 23GW today, with China targeting up to 500GW by 2050 through rapid deployment of large-scale reactors.
Alibaba Group has formed a joint venture with China National Nuclear Company (CNNC), marking a rare partnership between a Chinese technology firm and a state-owned nuclear power developer. The deal was first reported by Bloomberg.
The CNY 250 million ($35.9 million) joint venture was established alongside several other partners and outlines potential areas of cooperation, including energy generation. The companies did not disclose the precise scope of the partnership.
The agreement could have implications for China’s expanding AI and cloud infrastructure. Alibaba is one of the country’s largest cloud service providers, operating around 15 cloud regions and 59 availability zones across mainland China and Hong Kong, including major hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Meanwhile, CNNC operates one of the world’s largest nuclear power fleets, with roughly 25 reactors producing more than 23GW of capacity as of 2025. The company also has 15 to 17 additional reactors under construction or approved, representing more than 20GW of future capacity.
China is pursuing an aggressive nuclear expansion strategy, targeting 200GW of installed nuclear capacity by 2035 and between 400GW and 500GW by 2050.
While similar partnerships between technology companies and nuclear developers have emerged in the U.S. in recent years, this agreement represents one of the first examples of such collaboration in China. Meta Platforms has recently announced a series of major nuclear energy deals in the U.S. The agreements will secure up to 6.6 gigawatts of power to support the growth of its artificial intelligence (AI) operations and data centers. The agreements involve partnerships with nuclear energy companies, including Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo.
In September 2025, Alibaba Cloud had outlined new international expansion plans, announcing its first data centers in Brazil, France, and the Netherlands, with further facilities planned in Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Dubai during 2026.
The company recently reaffirmed its plan to spend $53 billion on cloud and AI over the next three years.
