OpenAI Debuts First Data Centre in Europe, Settled in Narvik, Norway
Norway is set to become a hub for sustainable AI industry with the launch of Stargate Norway, OpenAI's first AI data center in Europe. This initiative, part of OpenAI's "OpenAI for Countries" program, aims to provide large-scale compute capacity in Europe and boost European AI infrastructure.
Located in Northern Norway, the data center is a joint venture between Norwegian energy firm Aker and British AI cloud infrastructure company Nscale. OpenAI will act as the initial off-taker, purchasing capacity from the center. The facility is being built in Kvandal, a region known for its cold climate, abundant clean energy, and low latency to key European markets.
Stargate Norway is powered entirely by renewable energy, initially delivering 230MW of capacity with plans to expand by an additional 290MW. By the end of 2026, the center will house 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs. The data center's location was a strategic choice due to Norway's long-standing commitment to sustainable industry.
The program's goal is to provide nations with locally governed compute infrastructure. Priority access to the Norwegian data center will be given to Norwegian public institutions, researchers, and early-stage AI companies. Surplus capacity will be made available to partners across the Nordics, the UK, and Northern Europe.
Stargate Norway enhances European AI sovereignty and digital resilience by offering local compute infrastructure rather than relying on external providers. It aligns with Europe’s multi-billion-euro investments in AI to achieve data sovereignty, meet local demand, and foster ecosystem growth.
The data center will support national AI strategies and academic research, as well as startup ecosystems. Its waste heat will be repurposed for district heating and low-carbon industrial use in Narvik and surrounding communities.
Stargate Norway serves as a cornerstone for Europe's sustainable, sovereign AI capabilities, underpinning the continent’s long-term AI infrastructure ambitions and contributing significantly to shaping the future AI landscape in Europe.
Øyvind Eriksen, President and CEO of Aker ASA, stated that Stargate Norway is a digital-industrial platform for regional innovation. Nscale and Aker have committed to funding the first ~20 MW phase of the project, with additional capital to be raised as capacity scales.
The Stargate Norway project is valued at $1 billion. The facility will run on renewable hydropower and will use closed-loop liquid cooling to ensure energy efficiency and minimal environmental impact. The data center will be capable of supplying compute to a wide range of workloads, including AI training, inference, and large-scale scientific simulations.
In summary, Stargate Norway is a significant step forward in Europe's AI development, providing a sustainable, locally governed, and powerful AI infrastructure that supports productivity, economic growth, and new AI-driven industries on the continent.
- The data center, powered entirely by renewable energy, serves as a hub for scientific research, particularly in the field of environmental science and climate-change studies, given its location and focus on sustainable AI technologies.
- The joint venture between Aker and Nscale, with OpenAI as the initial off-taker, directly integrates technology and data-and-cloud-computing advancements into the European AI industry, enabling the continent to advance its multi-billion-euro investments in AI and foster ecosystem growth.
