- Nscale's NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 GPU deployment is one of the largest in the EU, supporting Microsoft's European customers with frontier AI capabilities
LONDON, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nscale is announcing an expansion of its collaboration with Microsoft and Start Campus with 66,000+ NVIDIA Rubin GPUs, starting in late 2027. This agreement builds on the deployment of over 12,600 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs at the first building of the SINES Data Campus for Microsoft.
As part of the agreement, Nscale's additional investments of €230 million in shared infrastructure and €465 million in a second 200MW building at the SINES Data Campus makes this one of the most significant AI infrastructure projects in the EU and one of the largest in Portugal to date. This agreement builds on Nscale deployments for Microsoft in Norway, the UK, and the US.
AI infrastructure demand is set to rise sharply through 2030, constrained by the pace at which power and new capacity can come online. Start Campus, which is fully permitted for 1.2GW, provides a clear runway to meet that demand and positions Portugal as a strategic gateway for Europe's AI economy.
"This partnership enables the deployment of next-generation AI compute at the scale and efficiency required for frontier workloads. Building on a proven foundation, the expanded deployment in Sines, Portugal creates one of the most advanced environments in Europe for high-density AI infrastructure. It also represents one of the largest AI infrastructure investments in Portugal's history - and among the most significant in the EU - reflecting the surging demand we're seeing for Nscale's services," said Josh Payne, CEO and Founder of Nscale.
"Sines is one of Europe's leading destinations for large-scale AI - strengthening Europe's ability to support sovereign AI development with sustainability, resilience and long-term planning at its core. Building on our existing agreement, this expansion by Nscale will be one of Europe's largest NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 deployments. As we progress towards our 1.2GW vision, our focus remains on delivering secure, sustainable and globally connected infrastructure - underpinned by renewable energy and designed to support Europe's long-term competitiveness in the AI era," said Robert Dunn, CEO of Start Campus.
"This significant investment by Nscale accelerates the development of the SINES Data Campus. Underpinned by Davidson Kempner's continued commitment, the Start Campus platform is well positioned to scale - reinforcing Portugal's emergence as an AI leader in Europe," said Daniel Boehm, Partner at Davidson Kempner, shareholder of Start Campus.
This expansion marks a definitive step in scaling Europe's AI compute capabilities, delivering the critical infrastructure and next-generation NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 Systems required for frontier AI workloads. With a proven partnership foundation, Nscale and Start Campus are actively positioning Portugal as the secure, sustainable, and high-density hub essential for fuelling Europe's long-term competitive success in the global AI era.
About Start Campus
Start Campus is building and operating the SINES Data Campus, a 1.2GW data center in Portugal, creating Europe's largest and most sustainable data ecosystem with market-leading global connectivity. SINES DC provides maximum optionality for customers with powered shell, turn-key and build-to-suit solutions. The company's advanced customer offerings are AI-ready and address the future needs of the industry by integrating liquid cooling technologies into its flexible and scalable design. The campus utilises 100% renewable energy and targets an industry-leading PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) of 1.1 and a WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness) of 0 by harnessing the cooling power of the ocean.
More information at www.startcampus.pt
About Nscale
Nscale is the vertically integrated AI infrastructure company building the physical and digital foundation to train, deploy, and scale AI from cloud to edge. By owning and operating the full stack spanning energy, data centers, GPU compute and software, Nscale gives AI natives, enterprises, and governments the efficiency, reliability, and control that advanced AI demands.
For more information, visit www.nscale.com
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2972602/Nscale_Logo.jpg
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nscale-to-deliver-66-000-nvidia-rubin-gpus-to-microsoft-at-start-campus-site-in-portugal-302762272.html
