VivoPower targets at least 1 gigawatt in AI data centre development partnership
Key Facts
VivoPower announced on October 21 that it had signed definitive heads of terms with Open Innovation AI targeting the development of at least 1 gigawatt of sovereign AI data centres over the next 3 years. The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the companies on developing and operating these facilities, according to a VivoPower statement. The partnership covers the Nordic countries, continental Europe and Gulf Cooperation Council countries, alongside selected Asian countries. The partners estimate Europe's sovereign AI opportunity at more than 40 gigawatts. Projects will be implemented under separate project-specific agreements, with definitive documentation to be completed later.
Under the announced allocation of responsibilities, VivoPower will handle site development, secure power supplies and operate the facilities. Open Innovation AI will provide compute orchestration, AI operations and security capabilities, according to the partnership statement. The technology company says its platform supports different suppliers of graphics processing units and storage systems. It describes this approach as enabling operations "without being tied to a single vendor or a particular proprietary technology ecosystem". The platform also supports deployment on customers' premises, in air-gapped environments or within a sovereign cloud, according to the company's description of its services.
The partnership comes as VivoPower has begun construction preparations to convert the 40-megawatt first phase of its Mo i Rana facility in northern Norway into an AI data centre. The company said in a project update that it had engaged local contractor Oyjord & Aanes to carry out site work related to the conversion. In its preferred tenant announcement, VivoPower described the site as an operating 41.5-megawatt data centre. It said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the centre runs on 100% renewable hydropower. The company has also enrolled 30 megawatts of capacity from the existing facility in power grid balancing services, according to the construction update.
VivoPower is assessing the recovery of waste heat from cooling systems at Mo i Rana, according to the Norwegian project update. Uses under evaluation include deploying this heat in local district heating networks. The company is also considering its use in aquaculture and greenhouse crop production. These applications form part of the assessments the company announced alongside preparations to convert the site into an AI centre. The project's next implementation steps include awarding the mechanical and electrical fit-out contract, which VivoPower said it expects to announce shortly following a review of bids.
Outside the Nordics, VivoPower plans to establish a separate platform comprising assets and development opportunities with more than 2.2 gigawatts of capacity, according to the company's platform announcement. Those assets and opportunities are at varying stages of maturity and development. The portfolio includes opportunities concentrated primarily in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The announced capacity includes potential sites still under evaluation for which the company has yet to secure contractual rights. VivoPower intends to retain control of the platform through a major equity stake, board representation and group-level governance arrangements.
The separate platform is to be headquartered in Singapore, according to VivoPower's announcement. The company intends to arrange a primary listing for the platform in London. The plan also includes a secondary listing in Abu Dhabi, alongside the portfolio of opportunities in Gulf and Asian markets. The cooperation programme announced on October 21 with Open Innovation AI has a target horizon covering the 3 years following the announcement. Moving from the partnership framework to site development remains contingent on signing project-specific agreements and completing their definitive documentation, under the arrangements announced by VivoPower.