Net Zero Compute Unveils Plans to Build  Pan-European Network of Sovereign AI Factories Pioneering Carbon-Neutral Digital Infrastructure

 

Paris, June 11th 2025, Net Zero Compute today announced a transformative commitment by 2030 to launch a pan-European network of twelve stand-alone Sovereign AI Factories, setting a new benchmark for sustainable, community-anchored digital infrastructure. With the first facility already under construction in Norway and scheduled to go live in Q4 2025, this initiative is poised to deliver powerful, locally governed AI capabilities while driving regional economic growth and advancing climate goals. Delivering Community Value and Local OwnershipAt the heart of Net Zero Compute’s vision is a model that prioritizes local equity, governance, and economic return. Each AI Factory is established as an independent company, with up to 10% ownership reserved for municipal funds and green bond investors, ensuring residents have a direct stake in the digital future of their communities. Initial investments are allocated to regional construction, grid upgrades, and sustainable logistics, starting with the Norwegian pilot.

 

“This isn’t about importing technology—it’s about exporting opportunity. With our AI investments  rooted in local communities, we’re building AI infrastructure that generates carbon-neutral energy, high-skill careers, and lasting value right where people live. Working with NVIDIA ensures we deliver industrial-grade innovation while keeping every euro’s benefit within the communities that power it.”

— Tommy Varhaugvik, CEO of Net Zero Compute

 

 

Sustainable AI Infrastructure, Designed for the Future

Net Zero Compute plans to build its  Sovereign AI Factories in scalable 2.5 MW blocks, with each site contributing to a shared 1 GW compute potential across the network. Every euro invested is directed back into the host community, supporting local development and resilience. The facilities are designed to meet the highest standards of data privacy and compliance, including full alignment with the EU AI Act and GDPR.

 

Advanced AI Infrastructure Anchors

Local Talent. Each Net Zero Sovereign AI Factory leverages advanced accelerated computing infrastructure and high-performance AI systems, alongside comprehensive foundational software stacks—including orchestration platforms, parallel computing frameworks, enterprise AI toolkits, digital twin environments, and intelligent video analytics solutions—enabling developers to accelerate AI model training and deploy smart city solutions. Net Zero Compute is building its initial AI factory with NVIDIA accelerated computing and plans to continue deploying NVIDIA infrastructure in its coming  additional data centers.

 

Circular Economy: Keeping Value Local

Net Zero Compute’s circular economic model ensures that the value generated by the AI Factories stays within the community. Organic waste is converted into pellets for energy storage, while AI services create new revenue streams. As each 75–100 MW hub achieves full operation, it is projected to contribute millions annually in municipal taxes, grid-service fees, and lease payments, which support essential public services such as schools, roads, and healthcare. The Norwegian installation is expected to start generating these funds within its first fiscal year.

 

Leading the Way in Carbon-Neutral Operations

Each facility incorporates a closed-loop bio-drying system, making it a net energy producer that generates more clean megawatt-hours than it uses. This method eliminates Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, establishing the network as a leader in carbon-neutral operations. At full build-out, the 1 GW network will deliver nearly 5 TWh of carbon-neutral energy each year—enough to heat a million homes and prevent over 6 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, directly supporting the EU Green Deal and UN Sustainable Development Goals.

 

A Collaborative Approach to Next-Generation AI

Net Zero Compute’s initiative is backed by partnerships with leading technology providers, ensuring that each AI Factory is outfitted with proven, high-performance solutions. This collaborative approach enables Net Zero Compute to concentrate on delivering community-focused value while utilizing top-tier technology for AI infrastructure. Addressing Smart City Challenges with NVIDIA TechnologyTo ensure that cities can fully leverage the Sovereign AI Factories, Net Zero Compute is integrating NVIDIA’s latest AI software stack —enabling municipalities to overcome common hurdles and deploy AI-driven services more effectively.

 

Key city challenges and NVIDIA-accelerated applications include:

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Lack of insights:

Cities struggle to extract actionable insights from their camera and sensor data, leading to missed events and delays in coordinated responses. 

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Solve:

Get faster time to insights/value by taking advantage of NVIDIA’s approach to 3-computers and NVIDIA AI Blueprints, cities can deploy AI solutions faster, reducing the time to achieve value while operating under resource constrained environments.

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Scaling with Resource Constraints:

City budgets and aging sensor infrastructure often limit the deployment of agentic AI solutions. 

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Solve:

Generative AI and AI agents enable cities to scale automated services—such as enhanced monetization strategies for tourists, improved citizen services, next-level roadway and transit efficiency, and optimized future urban planning—without requiring major hardware overhauls.

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Data Scarcity:

Training and testing smart city applications can be expensive, impractical, and sometimes dangerous, especially when citizens and public infrastructure are involved. Limited or unusable data sources make it difficult to prepare accurately for scenarios like traffic accidents, disaster response, public safety, and infrastructure management. 

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Solve:

With NVIDIA-accelerated digital twins, city planners can simulate and train AI models on realistic scenarios—including rare or edge cases—without risking public safety or requiring costly data collection.

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Accuracy:

Ensuring physical AI systems are safe and reliable requires extensive testing and robust data sources. 

 

Solve:

Large-scale digital twins and scenario simulations that accurately model real-world physics and environments allow city operators and AI agents to catch issues before deployment—significantly reducing false positives, system failures, and safety risks.

 

Complexity of Deployment:

Deploying AI involves connecting disparate sensors, software, and platforms; synchronizing real-time data; ensuring security; and maintaining reliable operation across both new and legacy systems. Any required downtime for updates can be detrimental to city operations. 

 

Solve:

NVIDIA Metropolis and NVIDIA AI Blueprint for Video Search and Summarization (VSS) can operate seamlessly on existing sensor infrastructure, while the 3-computer system performs continuous iterations and fine-tuning without impacting live operations. This ensures AI capabilities can be rolled out incrementally—avoiding costly downtime and preserving public-facing services.

 

About Net Zero Compute

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, Net Zero Compute AS is a Norwegian technology company dedicated to delivering energy-neutral artificial-intelligence and high-performance computing (AI/HPC) solutions. By coupling advanced heat-capture systems with on-site bio-energy production, the company closes the energy loop—turning waste heat from dense compute workloads into renewable power that feeds the very racks that generated it. 

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Tommy Varhaugvik

CEO Net Zero Compute

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