- Operai chose Narvik for its low -cost hydroelectric energy, omitting traditional European data centers
- The Stargate Norway project will use 100,000 GPU NVIDIA in a mass configuration of renewable energy
- The $ 1 billion data center promises 520MW capacity and direct cooling systems to avant -garde chip
The European ambitions of Openai have taken a surprising turn with the launch of their Stargate project in northern Norway.
Instead of traditional technology centers such as Germany, France or the United Kingdom, OpenAi has chosen Narvik, a remote location but rich in energy, to organize what could become one of the largest infrastructure facilities in the largest in Europe.
The site, part of the “OpenAI initiative for countries” of OpenAI, aims to offer massive resources promoted by 100,000 GPU NVIDIA at the end of 2026.
A joint company of one billion dollars with deep industrial roots
Stargate Norway is a joint company between the infrastructure firm of the NSCALE and the Norwegian industrial heavyweight Aker, who have committed substantial funds for their development.
“Advertising Stargate Norway and delivering one of the first AI Gigafactory European to the market is a strategic milestone for the region and increases its role in the global landscape of AI,” said Josh Payne, CEO of Nscale.
The initial 20MW phase alone is supported by an investment of approximately $ 1 billion, with long -term plans to climb the capacity of 520MW.
The site will depend completely on renewable energy and will have advanced cooling systems, including direct liquid cooling to chip, with excess heat, it is reused to support low carbon projects.
The justification for choosing Narvik in more central locations seems rooted in the availability of costs and resources.
The region offers low electricity prices, abundant hydroelectric and a naturally fresh climate.
“Norway has a proud story of converting clean and renewable energy into industrial value, promoting global industries such as aluminum and fertilizer … Northern Norway, with its surplus of clean energy, available capacity and industrial preparation, is the ideal pitcher for this transformation,” said Øyvind Eriksen, president and CEO of Aker.
The relatively underutilized transmission capacity of Narvik also makes it viable for heavy computing loads, something that many traditional European data centers fight to accommodate.
Operai is positioning itself as the initial consumer of calculation power, but the surplus capacity is expected to be distributed throughout the United Kingdom, Nordic countries and northern Europe.
From a hardware perspective, the planned installation of 100,000 GPU NVIDIA positions Stargate Norway as a serious contender in high performance computing.
This type of scale will require a robust CPU support and an optimized data center not only for GPU intensive work loads but also for rapid management of the CPU and storage performance.
“Europe needs more calculation to perform all the potential of AI for all Europeans, from developers and researchers to new companies and scientists, and we want to help that happen,” said Sam Altman, CEO of Openai.
As data centers evolve towards strategic assets, the decision to place one of the largest artificial intelligence communication facilities in the world in Narvik marks a bold change, one that could remodel the geographical balance of the development of AI in Europe.
