Status: Under Construction / Initial Phase (April 2026) | Location: Narvik (Kvandal), Nordland
Formally announced in July 2025 and significantly expanded with a $1.4 billion loan in February 2026, Stargate Norway represents OpenAI’s first European AI gigafactory and a major step toward regional AI independence. Located in the Arctic port city of Narvik, the facility is purpose-built to deliver “Sovereign AI” capabilities for European governments, research institutions, and startups, ensuring that sensitive data and advanced AI workloads remain within European jurisdiction.
Technically, the site takes advantage of Narvik’s unique environmental and economic conditions. It runs entirely on renewable hydropower, benefits from naturally low ambient temperatures that reduce cooling overhead, and operates with some of the lowest energy costs in Europe. The campus features advanced closed-loop, direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems capable of handling the immense thermal load generated by approximately 100,000 high-performance GPUs, including hardware from NVIDIA.
Sustainability is central to the design, with waste heat from the data center captured and redirected to support nearby low-carbon industrial operations. As of April 2026, the project developed through a joint venture between Nscale and Aker is rapidly scaling from an initial 20MW pilot phase to a planned 230MW capacity. This expansion positions Stargate Norway as a cornerstone of Europe’s AI infrastructure, combining performance, efficiency, and digital sovereignty within the broader global Stargate network.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Project Name | Stargate Norway Narvik | $1B 520MW AI Gigafactory |
| Location | Narvik (Kvandal), Nordland |
| Status | Under Construction / Initial Phase (April 2026) |
| Project Type | Sovereign AI Gigafactory |
| Commissioning | 🔒 Subscriber Intelligence |
| Total IT Load | 🔒 Subscriber Intelligence |
| Total Capacity | 🔒 Subscriber Intelligence |
| Tier Level | 🔒 Subscriber Intelligence |
| Header | Details |
|---|---|
| City Name | Narvik |
| Population | ~14,000 |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~18,000–20,000 |
| Economic Profile | 🔒 Detailed city intelligence available to subscribers |
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