Who’s Deploying the EU’s First Nvidia NVL72 GB300 Platform?

Europe has spent the past year trying to build AI infrastructure that can compete with American and Asian facilities, pouring billions into next-generation data centres. 

In thai time, Portugal has quietly positioned itself as a serious contender in this race, leveraging renewable energy capacity and a strategic Atlantic coast location.

Now Start Campus and Nscale have begun deployment of the EU’s first Nvidia GB300 NVL72 platform at the SIN01 data centre in Sines, a coastal town that is rapidly becoming a hub for digital infrastructure. 

The installation is scheduled to go live in the first quarter of 2026 – what both companies frame as a turning point for European AI capacity.

How Nscale, Nvidia and Start Campus will work together

Nscale, an AI infrastructure company headquartered in Europe, selected the facility after evaluating sites across the continent. 

The decision came down to location, room for expansion and the ability to deploy immediately rather than waiting for construction to finish. 

The installation will support Microsoft’s AI infrastructure requirements across the region.

Meanwhile, the Nvidia GB300 NVL72 platform handles the heavy computational work required for AI inference and training, providing the muscle needed to run large language models (LLMs). 

The deployment at SIN01 will support rack densities exceeding 130 kilowatts, which means each rack generates enough heat to require industrial cooling systems rather than the air conditioning used in traditional data centres.

Robert Dunn, CEO of Start Campus, says: “With SIN01 now at full capacity and being expanded on the back of oversubscribed demand, we’ve proven that the SINES Data Campus is one of the most desirable global locations prepared for ultra-dense, next-generation AI workloads.”

Portugal making its play for tech investment

Portugal’s renewable energy credentials have also improved dramatically. 

Castro Almeida, Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion in Portugal, says: “This investment in Sines confirms the international confidence in Portugal as a destination for innovation and technology, strengthening our position in the global digital economy and creating conditions to attract talent and high value-add investment.”

Redes Energéticas Nacionais, the national grid operator, reported that renewable sources provided 71% of the country’s electricity in 2024, jumping to 81% in early 2025. 

Energy prices remain below EU and Euro Area averages, giving the country a cost advantage over competitors like Ireland and the Netherlands.

Miguel Pinto Luz, Minister of Infrastructure and Housing of Portugal, pointed to the Sines port’s position as a landing point for submarine cables. 

These cables carry the bulk of international internet traffic – and data centres located near cable landing stations can offer lower latency for cross-border data transmission. 

“Sines demonstrates the convergence of the digital transition with Portugal’s unique geographic position – particularly this port, which holds a geostrategic role in becoming a leading digital hub for the future deployment of new submarine cables,” Miguel says.

Research by Copenhagen Economics projects that data centre investment could add up to €26bn US$27.9 bn to Portugal’s gross domestic product by 2030, creating tens of thousands of jobs across construction, operations and related services. 

The study suggests the country could establish itself as a regional hub if it continues attracting investment at the current pace.

How Nscale expands across europe

Josh Payne, CEO and Founder of Nscale, says the deployment showed the company could deliver infrastructure that meets the technical requirements of modern AI workloads. 

Nscale operates data centres across multiple European locations and is building what it describes as the UK’s largest AI supercomputer with Microsoft at its Loughton campus.

The company has also announced sovereign AI projects called Stargate UK and Stargate Norway, the latter in partnership with Aker ASA, a Norwegian industrial investment company. 

These initiatives aim to provide AI infrastructure that remains within national jurisdictions, addressing concerns about data sovereignty that have become more prominent as governments consider regulations around AI development.

Start Campus is now developing the 180 megawatt SIN02 facility next to the existing SIN01 site. 

The expansion will increase available capacity for hyperscale cloud operators, the term used for data centres designed to scale efficiently as demand increases.

Josh says: “This deployment underlines our ability to deliver advanced infrastructure in the European Union with the technical depth required for today’s most demanding workloads. 

“Partnering with Start Campus ensures we can meet the needs of our customers while laying foundations for the next generation of AI.”