Once completed, Stargate Norway will aim to deliver 230MW of compute capacity, with expansion plans targeting up to 520MW in total, OpenAI said
In sum – what you need to know:
OpenAI launches Stargate Norway – First European AI data center under OpenAI for Countries, targeting 230MW with plans to double capacity.
Local AI access prioritized – Norway’s startups and scientists to get preferred compute access; excess capacity offered across Northern Europe.
Renewable-powered AI at scale – Facility to run on hydropower, use advanced liquid cooling, and recycle GPU heat for regional sustainability.
OpenAI has announced Stargate Norway, its first AI data center initiative in Europe, as part of its OpenAI for Countries program. The new facility will be located in Narvik in Norway — a region chosen for its renewable hydropower resources, low energy costs, and industrial base. Once completed, Stargate Norway will deliver 230MW of compute capacity, with expansion plans for up to 520MW in total.
OpenAI said it intends to be an initial offtaker and may scale its usage over time. “This is one of the most ambitious AI infrastructure investments in Europe to date. Narvik’s abundant hydropower, low-cost energy, cool climate, and mature industrial base make it an ideal location to deliver large-scale, sustainable AI capacity,” OpenAI said.
“The facility will run entirely on renewable power and is expected to incorporate closed-loop, direct-to-chip liquid cooling to ensure maximum cooling efficiency. Additionally, excess heat from the GPU systems will be made available to support low-carbon enterprises in the region.”
The project is a joint venture between infrastructure provider Nscale and industrial conglomerate Aker, who will co-own the facility 50/50. Nscale will also lead the design and build of the site. The AI data center will aim to deploy 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by end-2026, using closed-loop, direct-to-chip liquid cooling. Waste heat will be repurposed to support low-carbon businesses in the area, the firm added.
In parallel, Aker and Nscale are working to guarantee priority access to local startups and researchers in Norway, ensuring benefits are distributed locally. Any remaining capacity will be offered to government and enterprise users across the U.K., Nordics, and Northern Europe.
In Norway, OpenAI will hold talks with national officials to explore policy and infrastructure partnerships aimed at furthering sovereign AI development. It also wants to participate in the European Commission’s AI Gigafactories program.
OpenAI previously announced the launch of “OpenAI for Countries” as an initiative within the Stargate project. It has announced plans to offer formalized infrastructure partnerships with national governments, in coordination with the U.S. administration, to help build local AI data center capacity.
Under this initiative, the company will partner with countries to help build in-country data center capacity. These secure data centers will help support the sovereignty of a country’s data, build new local industries, and make it easy to customize AI and leverage their data in a private and compliant way, OpenAI said.
The Stargate initiative has an estimated long-term cost of $500 billion; $100 billion has already been earmarked for its early phases. At its core, the Stargate scheme plans to build a network ofAI data centers across the U.S. The initiative aims to provide sufficient capacity to meet growing demand for AI across sectors including scientific research, healthcare, automation, defense, and finance
The project could become the largest AI infrastructure buildout to date, spanning multiple locations and phases. It is being led by OpenAI in partnership with SoftBank and Oracle. OpenAI is contributing AI models and technical leadership, while SoftBank is providing funding and strategic support. Oracle is a key infrastructure partner.
