In a significant move toward advancing sovereign AI capabilities in Europe, Nscale Global Holdings Ltd., Aker ASA, and OpenAI have jointly announced the launch of Stargate Norway — a large-scale AI infrastructure project in Narvik, Northern Norway. This marks OpenAI’s first European gigafactory initiative under its ‘OpenAI for Countries’ program, targeting to deliver 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs by the end of 2026.
Spearheaded by AI infrastructure provider Nscale, the project will be developed in partnership with Norwegian industrial group Aker and supported by OpenAI as a key offtaker. Stargate Norway aims to offer secure, scalable, and sustainable infrastructure for handling sovereign AI workloads in full compliance with European regulatory frameworks.
The facility will be powered entirely by renewable energy and is expected to begin with 230MW of capacity, with plans to expand by an additional 290MW, positioning it as one of Europe’s most ambitious AI infrastructure investments to date. Located in Kvandal, just outside Narvik, the site benefits from an abundant supply of hydropower, a cool climate, and a strong industrial base—factors that combine to deliver lower power costs and operational efficiency.
“Announcing Stargate Norway and delivering one of the first European AI Gigafactory to market is a strategic milestone for the region and boosts its role in the global AI landscape,” said Josh Payne, CEO of Nscale. “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. Together, we are combining OpenAI’s leading models with Nscale’s vertically integrated AI cloud, to provide the sustainable infrastructure necessary to support public benefit, build industrial resilience and enable long-term regional innovation.”
The project will be built and managed by Nscale, while ownership will be shared equally through a 50/50 joint venture between Nscale and Aker, to be finalized via subsidiaries of Aker ASA following a planned merger with Aker Horizons. Both parties have committed approximately USD 1 billion to the initial 20MW phase, including up to USD 250 million in equity (on a 100% basis), with equal contributions from each partner.
“Norway has a proud history of turning clean, renewable energy into industrial value, powering global industries like aluminium and fertiliser,” said Øyvind Eriksen, President & CEO of Aker. “Today, artificial intelligence and advanced data operations represent the next wave of value creation. Northern Norway, with its surplus of clean energy, available capacity, and industrial readiness, is the ideal launchpad for this transformation. With Stargate Norway, we’re creating new jobs, activity, and long-term opportunities in Narvik and the region. For Aker, this is a natural evolution of our industrial platform. As data centres shift from cost centres to value-generating assets, Norway’s energy advantage becomes a catalyst for the next generation of digital industry. We’re proud to help drive this development alongside Nscale, OpenAI, and local stakeholders.”
OpenAI, which will serve as an early customer, recognizes Stargate Norway as a crucial addition to Europe’s AI landscape.
“Europe needs more compute to realize the full potential of AI for all Europeans — from developers and researchers to startups and scientists — and we want to help make that happen,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. “I’ve always said we’d love to bring Stargate to Europe if the conditions are right, and we think we’ve found that in Narvik with clean, affordable energy, ideal climate, and great partners in Nscale and Aker. Stargate Norway will help provide the compute power to drive the next wave of AI breakthroughs and economic progress for Europe, in Europe.”
Beyond infrastructure, Stargate Norway will collaborate with local academic institutions to promote research and innovation in AI, contributing to the region’s talent pipeline and digital capabilities. The project will also offer surplus computing capacity to both public and private sector stakeholders in Norway, the Nordics, the UK, and Northern Europe, expanding the reach of sovereign-grade AI infrastructure.
From an environmental perspective, the facility will feature direct-to-chip liquid cooling and make use of excess GPU heat for regional low-carbon industrial applications—underlining the consortium’s long-term commitment to sustainability.
As founding partners and OpenAI customers, Nscale and Aker will also gain local access to advanced AI models and services, creating a synergistic ecosystem for homegrown innovation and secure AI deployment in Europe.
