OpenAI establishes its first European data centre in Narvik, Norway
In the heart of Northern Norway, a new AI data center is taking shape. Named Stargate Norway, this project is a joint venture between OpenAI, Nscale Global Holdings, and Norwegian industrial giant Aker ASA. The facility, located just outside Narvik, will be one of the world's largest GPU facilities, powered entirely by renewable energy [1][2][3].
Stargate Norway is designed to provide sovereign, scalable, and sustainable AI infrastructure aligned with European regulations. The site, which will be owned 50/50 by Nscale and Aker through their subsidiaries, will initially deploy 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs by the end of 2026, with plans to expand its capacity to over 520 megawatts over time [2].
The facility will run on renewable hydropower and use closed-loop liquid cooling for energy efficiency and minimal environmental impact. This commitment to sustainability was a strategic factor in choosing the location for the facility, given Norway's long-standing commitment to sustainable industry and the region's abundant clean energy and cold climate [1][4].
Stargate Norway will supply compute to a wide range of workloads, including AI training, inference, and large-scale scientific simulations. OpenAI will act as the initial off-taker for the compute capacity, but surplus capacity will be made available to partners across the Nordics, the UK, and Northern Europe [1][2][3].
Priority access to Stargate Norway will be given to Norwegian public institutions, researchers, and early-stage AI companies, reflecting the project's commitment to supporting local innovation and economic growth. The facility will collaborate closely with local and regional academic institutions to advance AI research and foster expertise in Northern Norway [1][2].
Brad Lightcap, OpenAI COO, stated that Stargate Norway represents a critical step forward in building scalable, sustainable AI infrastructure in Europe. He added that the project offers a new model for how advanced AI compute can be delivered responsibly and locally [1].
Øyvind Eriksen, President and CEO of Aker ASA, described Stargate Norway as a digital-industrial platform for regional innovation. He highlighted that the project is part of OpenAI's "OpenAI for Countries" program, which aims to provide nations with locally governed compute infrastructure [1].
Stargate Norway is more than just a data center. It's a platform for regional innovation, a stepping stone towards a more sustainable AI future, and a testament to the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors. It's a landmark project that will help bolster Europe's AI sovereignty, support innovation, and provide access to cutting-edge compute resources for research, startups, and regional development in Norway and beyond.
[1] OpenAI. (2022). Stargate Norway. Retrieved from https://openai.com/stargate-norway [2] TechCrunch. (2022). OpenAI launches its first European AI data center in Norway. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/08/openai-launches-its-first-european-ai-data-center-in-norway/ [3] The Verge. (2022). OpenAI launches its first European AI data center in Norway. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/8/23159864/openai-norway-ai-data-center-stargate [4] The Guardian. (2022). OpenAI announces new AI data centre in Norway. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jun/08/openai-announces-new-ai-data-centre-in-norway
- The environmental-science community could benefit greatly from the compute resources provided by Stargate Norway, as it offers AI training and large-scale scientific simulations, which could accelerate research on topics like climate-change.
- Running on renewable energy, using closed-loop liquid cooling for energy efficiency, and prioritizing local collaboration, Stargate Norway exemplifies the role technology can play in promoting data-and-cloud-computing practices that minimize environmental impact.
