Crumb
c/buyeuropean · by Sunshine@piefed.ca · 1y

OpenAI to launch AI data center in Norway, its first in Europe

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/31/openai-to-launch-ai-data-center-in-norway-its-first-in-europe/

27 points · 25 comments · view on lemmy.world

25 Comments

Sunshine@piefed.ca · 18 pts · 1y (9 replies)

Every nearby resident groans at the upcoming issues with the power.

Eyekaytee@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 1y (8 replies)

Does Norway have limited power capacity like America?

It looks like it is super green and exporting lots to its neighbours:

https://app.electricitymaps.com/zone/NO/72h/hourly

This is the perfect place to build AI data centres, heaps of green renewables in abundance

If only the EU could catch up

breecher@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 1y (3 replies)

Or that energy could be used for more productive things instead of being wasted on this shit.

Eyekaytee@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Europeans are using AI, maybe you missed this?

Over 13% of EU businesses with at least 10 employees have embraced Artificial Intelligence, says Eurostat, a 5.5% increase from 2023, with all member states reporting growth in the use of AI technology.

Large companies - meaning those with at least 250 employees - reported much higher AI use: 42% on average.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/01/31/ai-on-the-rise-among-european-businesses-how-are-they-using-it

The EU should be powering it's own data centres, not relying on the Americans

Auli@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Their still relying on the Americans. It's an American company. And America well suck up all their data no matter what EU law says.

Eyekaytee@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 1y

Somebody didn't read the article :P

Nscale will design and build the site, and it will be a 50/50 joint venture between the two companies. OpenAI will be an “off-taker” in the project, buying capacity from the data center.

also

Nscale and OpenAI told TechCrunch that Stargate Norway isn’t a part of the European Union’s plans to scale AI at home. Nscale CEO Josh Payne told CNBC that part of the purpose of this project is to “leverage European sovereign compute” for the benefit of the continent. Norway’s AI ecosystem, like startups and scientific researchers, will get priority access to the center.

On top of this:

So far, the EU has put up 10 billion euros ($11.8 billion) in funding to set up 13 AI factories and 20 billion euros as a starting point for investment in the gigafactories, marking what it says is the “largest public investment in AI in the world.” The bloc has already received 76 expressions of interest in the gigafactories from 16 member states across 60 sites, Virkkunen said.

Great! what are you waiting for? build them?

However, in order for the factories to make a noteworthy addition to Europe’s computing capacity, significantly more investment will be required from the private sector to fund the expensive infrastructure.

oh...

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/29/europe-sets-its-sights-on-multi-billion-euro-gigawatt-ai-factories.html

tormeh@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 1y

Some regions have more power than others. Thankfully this data center will be in the north, where electricity and cooling are both plentiful.

ctrl_alt_esc@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Only that no one needs this crap in the first place

Eyekaytee@aussie.zone · 0 pts · 1y

i can’t believe you bothered to post that, what a waste of electricity

MysteriousSophon21@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y

Norway's perfect for these centers not just for the abundant hydro power, but also becuase the cold climate saves a ton on cooling costs which is actually a huge energy expense for data centers.

Tweak@feddit.uk · 9 pts · 1y

The Nordic countries are falling over themselves to get people in to build datacentres. In Sweden, the government literally gave Microsoft the land to build their datacentres on. They've got something like 25x 5 COLO 4 Cell datacentres in various states of contrsuction, and I think another 25 more lined up.

Flukas88@feddit.it · 9 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Cough cough cloud act cough cough

biofaust@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y

Yeah, came here to say this. The data location makes almost no difference if confidentiality is the issue.

Auli@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 1y

Why just do America can have access to all their data. When the fuck are governments going to wake up.

GandalftheBlack@feddit.org · 4 pts · 1y (3 replies)

First and hopefully last

Eyekaytee@aussie.zone · -6 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Hopefully not! Exporting your dirty problems to another country is not a climate solution!

breecher@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Who are you talking to? What are you talking about?

Did you wander into the wrong thread?

Eyekaytee@aussie.zone · -1 pts · 1y

no? what are you confused about in particular?

cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 1y (3 replies)

gross why would norway allow this?

Gsus4@mander.xyz · 8 pts · 1y

Cheap hydro power?

XTL@sopuli.xyz · 5 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Money. Employment. Money. More business opportunities. Money. Fame and success and growth. Also money.

boonhet@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 1y

Construction jobs are temporary. Doubt they'll be making a lot of money off this tbh. More of an image thing.

At least they won't have to export as much of their renewable energy anymore

vane@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y (2 replies)

I bet it will be financed from EU tax money.

ijon_the_human@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Norway is not an EU member state, so most likely that's a no.

Granted, there are some financial programmes between the two so it's not completely out of the question.

And what do you mean by funded?

  • Direct funding of the project?

  • Subsidizing European companies that build data centres?

  • Subsidizing investment in key areas of technology?

  • Subsidizing buildings that meet certain energy efficiency standards?

  • Trying to court AI companies with legislation?

  • Subsidizing regional development?

In the end you can interpret the question and answer however you want so that it fits your political views.

However:

  • The EU usually declares direct investments quite clearly and takes pride in them

  • The data centre company Aker is British and UK isn't an EU member state either

  • The funding sums from all the other parties have been mentioned and there is no mention of EU involvement

  • Norway is a rich country and its sovereign wealth fund is the largest in the world

We probably agree on the politics around AI and data centres, impact on the environment and so on but what irks me are all the knee-jerk, no second thought comments that contribute to unnecessary polarization and to a group think that's allergic to facts and curiosity.

And lastly, sorry to pick on your comment like this.

vane@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y

Aker is just investment fund that invest mostly in oil and gas and Nscale is another management company founded in 2024 with $30 million found and then with $155 million Series A to buy datacenters. They don't have money especially $20 billions but I bet EU have this money so investors are creating this myth that they can take EU money and build something for them.

Those companies has never built anything. Nscale is in partnership with openai from start. You can read more about their spin off from crypto here. https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/ai-cloud-provider-nscale-acquires-modular-data-center-company-kontena/

It's shady business there, at least for me.