OpenAI announced plans to launch Stargate Norway, its first AI data center in Europe, in partnership with British AI cloud infrastructure provider Nscale and Norwegian energy firm Aker. Nscale will design and build the site as a 50/50 joint venture, while OpenAI will act as an off-taker, purchasing capacity from the facility.
The move aligns with Europe’s push for AI sovereignty and investment in data centers. Earlier this week, the EU revealed a multi-billion-dollar plan to bolster AI infrastructure, including 10 billion euros for 13 AI factories and an initial 20 billion euros in funding. Data sovereignty is a priority due to the sensitivity of business and government data. It remains unclear whether OpenAI’s project is part of the EU’s broader strategy, as the company did not respond to requests for comment.
Nscale CEO Josh Payne emphasized the project’s goal of leveraging European sovereign compute to benefit the continent. Norwegian AI startups and researchers will receive priority access to the center. Nscale and Aker have each pledged roughly $1 billion for the initial 20-megawatt phase. OpenAI expects Stargate Norway to start with 230 MW capacity, scaling up to 290 MW, and will deploy 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by late 2026.
Located near Narvik in northern Norway, the facility will rely on hydropower, a cool climate, and an established industrial base. OpenAI stated the data center will operate entirely on renewable energy and use advanced cooling systems for efficiency. Excess heat from GPUs will support low-carbon businesses in the region.
The announcement follows OpenAI’s $500 billion U.S. AI infrastructure investment plan with Oracle and Softbank, unveiled earlier this year. It also comes after the launch of Stargate UAE and a recent partnership with the UK government to accelerate AI adoption.
Under the EU AI Act, which bans high-risk AI systems, data center operators must prioritize environmental protection and transparency in energy use. The bloc’s Energy Efficiency Directive also mandates waste heat recovery for high-energy data centers.