A massive AI data center is being built in Narvik, Norway, by British startup Nscale.
The facility, located near the Arctic Circle, will be one of Europe's largest AI data centers and will be used by Microsoft and OpenAI.
Europe's Largest AI Data Center Under Construction in Norway's Narvik
A massive AI data center is being built in Narvik, Norway, by British startup Nscale. The facility, located near the Arctic Circle, will be one of Europe's largest AI data centers and will be used by Microsoft and OpenAI.
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Construction of Europe's largest AI data center in Narvik, Norway · NewsDarpan AI
The growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) has led to a surge in data center construction worldwide. In this context, British startup Nscale is building a large-scale data center in Narvik, Norway, near the Arctic Circle. This facility is set to become one of the largest AI data centers in Europe.
Narvik's cold climate offers a natural advantage for cooling the data center's high-temperature chips. Even in the warmest months of June and July, temperatures range between 15 and 17 degrees Celsius, while winter averages hover around -4 to -6 degrees Celsius. Additionally, Norway's abundant hydropower provides affordable electricity, priced at approximately 3-4 rupees per unit, significantly cheaper than the European average. Once fully operational, the data center will consume 520 megawatts of electricity, surpassing the combined consumption of all existing data centers in Norway.
The project, estimated to cost over ₹9.57 lakh crore, will allocate 60-80% of its budget to advanced chips, including Nvidia's new 'Vera Rubin' processors. By the end of the year, the facility is expected to launch with over 1 lakh advanced graphics processing units. Microsoft and OpenAI will be the primary users of this cutting-edge infrastructure.