OpenAI has revealed its first European data centre project in partnership with British startup Nscale, selecting Norway as the location for what is being called 'Stargate Norway'.

The initiative mirrors the company's ambitious$500 billion US 'Stargate' infrastructure plan and reflects Europe's growing demand for large-scale AI computing capacity.

Nscale will lead the development of a$1 billion AI gigafactory in Norway, with engineering firm Aker matching the investment. These advanced data centres are designed to meet the heavy processing requirements of cutting-edge AI models.

OpenAI expects the facility to deliver 230MW of computing power by the end of 2026, making it a significant strategic foothold for the company on the continent.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stated that Europe needs significantly more computing to unlock AI's full potential for researchers, startups, and developers. He said Stargate Norway will serve as a cornerstone for driving innovation and economic growth in the region.

Nscale confirmed that Norway's AI ecosystem will receive priority access to the facility, while remaining capacity will be offered to users across the UK, Nordics and Northern Europe.

The data centre will support 100,000 of NVIDIA's most advanced GPUs, with long-term plans to scale as demand grows.

The move follows broader European efforts to strengthen AI infrastructure, with the UK and France pushing for major regulatory and funding reforms.