by Naver, Nvidia, and a consortium of international partners have unveiled plans to build a massive 500-megawatt (MW) AI data center in Morocco. The facility, powered entirely by renewable energy, will serve as a sovereign AI infrastructure hub for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Strategic Location for AI Data Center
Morocco was chosen for its strategic position just 15 kilometers from Europe and its robust connectivity through undersea fiber-optic cables. This makes the country an ideal gateway for data traffic between continents and a cost-effective choice for large-scale AI operations.
Morocco already leads Africa in data center hosting, with 23 facilities, and this new project will further cement its status as a digital hub.
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Consortium and Partners
The consortium includes:
- Naver (South Korea’s tech giant)
- Nvidia (global AI chip leader)
- Nexus Core Systems (AI infrastructure specialist)
- Lloyds Capital (investment firm)
- TAQA Morocco (energy provider)
Naver Cloud, Nexus Core Systems, and Lloyds Capital will operate the AI data center platform, while TAQA will supply renewable energy.
Phased Rollout of AI Data Center
The first phase is scheduled to launch in Q4 2025, featuring a 40MW supercomputing facility equipped with Nvidia’s latest Blackwell (GB200) GPUs. The center will scale up in stages, ultimately reaching 500MW—almost double the capacity of Naver’s flagship GAK Sejong data center in South Korea.
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Sovereign AI Data Center for EMEA
The AI data center will operate under a “Sovereign AI” framework. All data storage, processing, and operations will take place in Morocco, ensuring compliance with the strict European data protection laws, including the GDPR.
This addresses the growing demand for data sovereignty in Europe and provides a secure alternative to U.S.-based cloud providers, who face regulatory challenges due to the U.S. Cloud Act.
Full Suite of AI Services
The facility will offer advanced cloud and AI services, including:
- AI applications and large language models
- Supercomputing infrastructure
- Localized data processing and storage
- Services for critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, and education
Renewable Energy Commitment
A strategic power purchase agreement with TAQA ensures the AI data center will run entirely on renewable energy. Morocco’s low electricity costs and expanding green energy sector were key factors in site selection.
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Global Expansion and Market Impact
This initiative marks Naver’s most significant expansion outside Asia, targeting the EMEA region’s growing need for secure, locally controlled AI infrastructure. The project positions Naver and its partners as major competitors to U.S. cloud giants in the global AI data center market.
“This cooperation will be a crucial turning point for NAVER’s cloud and AI technology to expand beyond Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East to the European market,” said Chae Seon-ju, head of Strategic Business at Naver.
Construction of the AI data center is scheduled to begin in late 2025. Upon completion, it will be one of the largest and most advanced AI data centers in the EMEA region, supporting the digital transformation of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East with secure, sustainable, and sovereign AI services.
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