- Nscale and InfraPartners are doubling the Glomfjord data centre’s capacity to 60MW.
- The facility will operate entirely on renewable hydroelectric energy.
What happened: Expansion of Glomfjord AI data centre
Nscale, a hyperscale provider engineered for artificial intelligence (AI), has partnered with InfraPartners to expand the Glomfjord data centre in northern Norway. This initiative will increase the facility’s capacity from 30 megawatts (MW) to 60MW, with completion targeted for the second quarter of 2025. The data centre will continue to utilise 100% renewable energy sourced from local hydroelectric power plants.
InfraPartners will employ modular, prefabricated construction techniques for the expansion, aiming to enhance quality control, reduce on-site labour, and expedite project timelines. The Glomfjord facility’s strategic location above the Arctic Circle allows it to leverage the region’s cold climate for energy-efficient adiabatic cooling, further improving operational efficiency.
Also read: Microsoft cancels AI data centre leases
Also read: Meta explores $200B AI data centre project
Why it is important
Doubling the Glomfjord data centre’s capacity represents a notable development in Europe’s AI infrastructure landscape. The increased capacity will provide additional AI-optimised computing resources, supporting various AI workloads such as training, fine-tuning, and inference processes. The commitment to using 100% renewable energy aligns with the technology sector’s growing emphasis on sustainability, reducing the facility’s environmental impact while ensuring a stable and cost-effective power supply.
The adoption of modular construction methods by InfraPartners introduces a scalable and efficient model for data centre development, facilitating rapid deployment and flexibility to adapt to evolving technological requirements. Additionally, the integration of advanced liquid cooling technologies will address the thermal management challenges associated with high-performance GPUs, maintaining optimal performance and hardware longevity.