Last week, a US-Norwegian alliance known as Kolos revealed that its lofty plan to build the first data facility capable of drawing 1000 megawatts of power is now officially underway. Situated in the remote town of Ballangen, Norway, 140 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the new Kolos facility will become the world’s largest data center once construction is completed.
Slated to open in 2018, the new 6.4 million square feet facility is expected to be fully operational within ten years. Kolos claims that the cold climate, low humidity and abundant supply of hydropower in the area will ensure a reliable flow of clean energy and significantly reduce other power costs for data center operations.
Although further details of the ambitious project are yet to be disclosed, a statement released by the company read:
The Kolos facility will be a fortress for data. The Kolos site is surrounded by water and hills, providing a natural moat to protect against any physical risks.
The massive computing power and potential of the facility has Kolos believing that it could soon service high-speed internet traffic all over Continental Europe and as far as the East Coast of the USA. Furthermore, the company says that the data center will directly create 2000 to 3000 new jobs and additionally support 10,000 to 15,000 more jobs in the area upon construction.