OpenAI has announced plans to launch Stargate Norway, a large-scale artificial intelligence data centre in northern Norway, in collaboration with Nscale Global Holdings and Aker ASA.
The new facility, which will be situated in Kvandal outside Narvik, represents OpenAI’s first major European data centre and is set to play a central role in the company’s efforts to expand its AI infrastructure across the continent.
According to OpenAI, Stargate Norway is planned to deliver an initial capacity of 230 megawatts, with further ambitions to expand by an additional 290 megawatts in the future. The facility will target the installation of 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by the end of 2026, with the intention to “expand significantly in the years ahead.” The project is being developed as a 50:50 joint venture between Nscale and Aker, with the companies committing around $1 billion to the initial phase of the project.
“This is one of the most ambitious AI infrastructure investments in Europe to date,” OpenAI said in a blog post on its website. The centre will be fully powered by renewable energy, leveraging Narvik’s abundant hydropower, low-cost energy, and cool climate to deliver large-scale, sustainable AI capacity. The facility is expected to incorporate closed-loop, direct-to-chip liquid cooling to maximise efficiency, and excess heat from the GPU systems will be made available to support low-carbon enterprises in the region.
Nscale chief executive officer Josh Payne described the announcement as “a strategic milestone for the region and boosts its role in the global AI landscape.” Payne added, “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.”
The Stargate Norway project is also designed to support Norway’s national AI strategy, with Aker and Nscale working to provide priority access to Norway’s AI ecosystem. OpenAI said that surplus capacity will be made available to public and private sector users across the UK, Nordics, and Northern Europe, serving regional demand and accelerating the development of Europe’s AI ecosystem.
The announcement follows the launch of Stargate UAE earlier this year and reflects OpenAI’s growing partnerships with governments and industrial leaders worldwide. The company stated that, “AI is a foundational technology that can boost productivity, drive economic growth, and power new industries. Large-scale compute capacity in Europe will help ensure that this transformation benefits people and communities including developers, researchers, scientists, and startups across Norway and Europe.”
