Behind the project are data centre pioneers Byrne Murphy and William E. Conway, Jr., who built DigiPlex into an eight-facility data centre portfolio and sold it back in 2021. When returning to Norway they plan to build more than 500 megawatts of data centres. This week the announced the first one, in Matre in Masfjorden, holding a power agreement for 30 MWs, with another 70 MWs expected in under a year.

Kitebrook’s second site, in Vestland in Leirdøla in Sogn, has a power agreement underway for 100 MWs. Together with others sites under development, Kitebrook plans for more than 500 MWs of power generation. The project in Matre could create economic value of up to 270 million per year, in addition to substantial ripple effects for the regional ecosystem

Data centre pioneers Byrne Murphy and William Conway Jr. will build one of the greenest data centres in the world in Vestland. Kitebrook has an innovative design that can save hundreds of millions of euros when establishing new data centre, and are now developing a portfolio of sites in Norway, starting in Matre in Masfjorden From left: Per Espen Edvardsen, Kitebrook, Sveinung Toft, Masfjorden municipality, Vidar Totland, Invest in Vestland, Erlend Kvamsdal, Masfjorden municipality, Tone Hartvedt, Invest in Vestland, and Byrne Murphy, Kitebrook. 

Reducing the need for cooling and back-up

The sites will be developed on the legacy from DigiPlex. The centres will be designed with a back-up power solution that eliminates the need for back-up generators and chillers, achieved by maximizing the benefits of Norway’s topographical and hydrological features. This makes data centres cleaner and far less expensive compared with current data centre developmens.

For projects that require back-up power and cooling, the innovation can dramatically reduce upfront CAPEX by approximately €175 million for every 100 MWs of power.

- We are excited to again build a business in Norway, picking up where we left off in 2021. We start with the goal of maximizing the benefits of what Norway has to offer: massive amounts of hydro-electric power, facilitated by a vast network of deep-water fjords and tall, steep mountains. With enough ingenuity and perseverance, modern AI-enabled data centres in Norway can work in concert with local communities and natural sources of energy to provide clean power and quiet operations while saving hyperscalers and other data centre users hundreds of millions of euros, said Kitebrook’s Byrne Murphy when disclosing the plans this week.

Building strong partnerships

Duo Murphy and Conway aims to pair digital transformation and sustainability. Their last project DigiPlex, was powered by hydropower, and won numerous awards for its energy-efficient innovations and sustainability initiatives. As they now return to Norway, the focus in building communities as they invest in the data centres.

- We hope to establish strong partnerships with the municipalities where we plan to invest and build, as well as with Innovation Norway, which offers grants for environmental technology, says Byrne Murphy.

Invest in Vestland has been supporting the development in the process and will now assist the municipalities in maximizing the benefits of Kitebrook’s establishments.

Generate revenues and ripple effects

The first location to be developed, Matre in Masfjorden municipality, has a long history of hydropower production and has played a significant role in Norway’s energy landscape. Some of this locally produced power will be used to operate the planned hyperscale data centre.

- Establishing data centres in these municipalities will generate revenues for local governments, create new jobs during construction and operation, and open up opportunities for new businesses through the use of surplus heat from production says Investment Manager in Invest in Vestland, Vidar Totland, and continues:

- The Bergen region and Vestland have strong prerequisites for welcoming data centres. Vestland accounts for 25 percent of Norway’s power production, and much of this power is currently exported. The municipalities of Masfjorden, Samnanger, and Eidfjord, which Kitebrook is in close and constructive dialogue with, have significant electricity production but have so far seen little local value creation as a result.

Building and operating a data centre requires a wide range of competences, offering exciting opportunities for residents of Matre, the municipality, and the wider region.

Based on experience and estimates from other Norwegian data centres, the Matre facility could generate between 70 and 140 annual jobs and create economic value of NOK 70 to 270 million per year, depending on customer profiles, salary levels, and other variables. The ripple effects for the local economy will also be substantial.

The Matre Research Station has been in operations since 1976 and has during that period implemented several innovative technology. In the future, they will benefit from water used at the data centre in Matre. Photo: Christina Fagerbakke/IMR. 

Circular industrial projects

The data centre is currently completing the Uptime Institute’s Tier III certification, which ensures high security and reliability. Once certified, Matre will be the first fossil-free Tier III data centre in the world.

In addition to lower emissions and hydro powered operations, another sustainability effect is that surplus hot water from the data centre will be utilized. At first, the Institute of Marin Research in Matre will make use of some of the spill water, but as production is ready there will also be other opportunities for utilizing the rest of the water.

The industrial circularity in the project aligns with the targets in Vestland County and the region is exited to welcome the new enterprises.