Overview
- Microsoft will take the Narvik, Norway data-center capacity once slated for OpenAI, with Nscale set to install about 30,000 Nvidia Rubin GPUs at the 230MW site after Wednesday’s deal expansion.
- OpenAI ended talks to rent the site directly from Nscale and now plans to tap the same Norway compute through Microsoft under its existing Azure spending plan.
- OpenAI recently paused its Stargate UK build, the data-center program meant to host thousands of GPUs, citing high industrial power costs and uncertain rules on training data.
- The company is still growing in Britain, with an 88,500-square-foot office in King’s Cross that can seat 544 staff opening next year.
- The Norway shift underscores how cheap, steady power and clear policy determine where AI capacity gets built, with established cloud providers stepping in when startups defer large projects.