OpenAI has decided to build Stargate Norway, Europe’s first artificial intelligence data center, in Norway. The project is being implemented as a joint venture between British AI cloud infrastructure provider Nscale and Norwegian energy infrastructure company Aker. OpenAI does not directly own the facility, but is the buyer by purchasing a large portion of the data center capacity.
OpenAI Opens First AI Data Center in Europe
Stargate Norway has been recognized as one of the largest infrastructure developments in the field of artificial intelligence announced in Europe to date. The center stands out not only for its technical capabilities but also for its environmental sustainability approach.
The facility will run entirely on renewable energy and will house 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by the end of 2026. OpenAI announced that the facility, which will initially have a capacity of 230 megawatts, will reach a total capacity of 290 megawatts. Nscale and Aker have committed $1 billion in investment for the first 20 MW phase.
The data center will operate with a closed-loop liquid cooling system with direct chip cooling. This system will not only remove heat from the GPUs from the environment but will also be recycled for low-carbon industries operating in the region. This will enable energy efficiency and waste heat recovery.
OpenAI stated that Stargate Norway will contribute to the regional technology ecosystem and that the center will be primarily used by Norwegian startups and scientific research institutions. This is a direct initiative aimed at supporting local innovation capacity in Europe.
