APREX · EST. 2026
In an ancient Viking county north of the Arctic Circle, something entirely new is rising. In Bjerkvik, just outside Narvik, one of the world's most ambitious AI data centres is taking shape — and the rest of the world has taken notice.
On 4 June 2026, Time magazine published an exclusive feature titled "Inside the AI Boom's Arctic Outpost", which, according to Aftenposten, places Bjerkvik at the forefront of the global race for AI infrastructure.
The World's Northernmost AI Hub
The facility is located in Kvandal, a small locality in Narvik municipality. The choice of site is anything but coincidental: abundant hydropower, a naturally cool climate, and low strain on the electricity grid make it an ideal location for energy-intensive, high-density computing.
Behind the project is the British-Norwegian company Nscale Global Holdings, in partnership with Aker ASA. Microsoft has come on board as the anchor customer, after OpenAI withdrew from a direct lease agreement at an earlier stage.
Enormous Power Consumption — but Green
The first phase alone will draw around 230 megawatts of electricity — a consumption level that nearly matches the combined power usage of all existing Norwegian data centres, and is equivalent to the electricity consumption of roughly 190,000 American households, according to the research material.
Full build-out could give the facility a capacity of up to 520 MW. The entire site will be powered by renewable hydropower, and plans include reusing surplus heat from the GPUs for low-carbon businesses in the surrounding area.
The site's director, Torkjell Lund, was quoted directly in the Time feature, describing AI infrastructure as "the greatest producer of value per electron" — with nothing else coming close. He also touched on the very tangible challenges of building in the Arctic: snow has been the biggest practical headache for months.
Microsoft Commits NOK 66 Billion
Microsoft's role as anchor customer is far from modest. According to the research material, Microsoft's investment linked to the Bjerkvik centre amounts to NOK 66 billion — an investment that underscores the company's strategic commitment to European AI capacity.
Academia and Industry in Tandem
Alongside the physical infrastructure, academic bridges are also being built between Narvik and the global AI research community. UiT The Arctic University of Norway and Aker Nscale have signed a ten-year cooperation agreement to establish the Aker Nscale Innovation Centre Narvik at UiT.
The centre will strengthen interdisciplinary AI research, give research communities access to advanced technology, and connect academia with industry. The agreement took effect on 1 January 2026, with Aker Nscale committing to contribute NOK 100 million. Aker Nscale's CEO, Kristian Røkke, has stated that the partnership is intended to lay the groundwork for Narvik to become a Norwegian hub for AI development.
Norway Positions Itself Nationally
The Bjerkvik project is not an isolated case. In recent years, Norway has pursued a deliberate national AI strategy with an emphasis on sustainable value creation. Minister of Digitalisation Karianne Tung laid the foundation stone for the data centre and highlighted Norway's role in responsible and ethical AI development.
Among other national initiatives is "KI-fabrikken" (the AI Factory), led by Sigma2, which aims to make AI more accessible through the supercomputer Olivia. The Research Council has also established six new national research centres for AI, and Norway is participating in the Nordic cooperation initiative "New Nordics AI" together with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden.
The international attention from Time underscores that Norway's combination of renewable energy, cold nature, and political will has carved out a position in the global AI race that is hard to ignore.