Nscale to build $200bn OpenAI Nvidia AI datacentre in Norway
Cette publication existe aussi en Français
London-based datacentre operator Nscale is to set up an AI factory in Norway with 100,000 Nvidia GPUs for openAI.
StarGate Norway is being set up with OpenAI and Norwegian investment company Akers and will be powered by 230MW of hydropower energy in Narvik in the north of the country.
The site will be designed and built by Nscale and owned by a 50/50 joint venture between Nscale and Aker, who are both contributing $1bn for the first 20MW phase of the project. This points to an overall investment of over $200bn for the initial rollout
This follows a 30MW AI datacentre that Nscale has set up close by that is using AMD Instinct MI300X GPUs that can be doubled to 60MW.
In contrast, the OpenAI site plans to have 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by the end of 2026, with ambitions to scale significantly in the following years with an additional 290MW of power consumption. This aims to provide sovereign AI infrastructure for Europe.
The site will use closed-loop, direct-to-chip liquid cooling to ensure maximum cooling efficiency and excess heat from the GPU systems will be made available to support low-carbon enterprises in the region. The GPUs are expected to be the Blackwell B300 superchips.
“Announcing Stargate Norway and delivering one of the first European AI Gigafactory to market is a strategic milestone for the region and boosts its role in the global AI landscape,” said Josh Payne, CEO of Nscale.
“Sovereign, scalable and sustainable infrastructure is now essential to remain competitive. We’re proud to partner with Aker, drawing on the team’s extensive experience and impressive track record, to deliver a new generation of AI economic and productivity growth in Europe. Together, we are combining OpenAI’s leading models with Nscale’s vertically integrated AI cloud, to provide the sustainable infrastructure necessary to support public benefit, build industrial resilience and enable long-term regional innovation.”
“Norway has a proud history of turning clean, renewable energy into industrial value, powering global industries like aluminium and fertiliser,” said Øyvind Eriksen, President & CEO of Aker. “Today, artificial intelligence and advanced data operations represent the next wave of value creation. Northern Norway, with its surplus of clean energy, available capacity, and industrial readiness, is the ideal launchpad for this transformation. With Stargate Norway, we’re creating new jobs, activity, and long-term opportunities in Narvik and the region. For Aker, this is a natural evolution of our industrial platform. As data centres shift from cost centres to value-generating assets, Norway’s energy advantage becomes a catalyst for the next generation of digital industry. We’re proud to help drive this development alongside Nscale, OpenAI, and local stakeholders.”
“Europe needs more compute to realize the full potential of AI for all Europeans — from developers and researchers to startups and scientists — and we want to help make that happen,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. “I’ve always said we’d love to bring Stargate to Europe if the conditions are right, and we think we’ve found that in Narvik with clean, affordable energy, ideal climate, and great partners in Nscale and Aker. Stargate Norway will help provide the compute power to drive the next wave of AI breakthroughs and economic progress for Europe, in Europe.”
As OpenAI customers, Aker and Nscale will benefit from local access to models and AI services delivered via sovereign infrastructure. They will also offer priority access to Norway’s AI ecosystem, enabling homegrown startups and researchers to leverage world-class compute resources.
Surplus capacity is expected be made available to public and private sector users across the UK, Nordics, and Northern Europe, supporting regional demand and contributing to the broader development of Europe’s AI ecosystem.
www.nvidia.com; www.nscale.com
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :
