Netherlands Selects Groningen Data Centre for €201M AI Supercomputer
The Netherlands’ national AI supercomputer has finally found its home: Eurofiber’s data centre complex on the Zernike Campus in Groningen, as announced by SURF (the IT cooperative serving Dutch education and research) on Monday.
The installation is scheduled for 2027, with full operational capacity expected by early 2028.
According to RTV Noord, three sites were contenders for the contract, but Eurofiber was chosen due to its existing infrastructure and sustainability practices. The data centre efficiently utilizes waste heat through WarmteStad, Groningen’s district heating company, and avoids using surface or drinking water for cooling. Since the site is already connected to the grid, the supercomputer will not add to network congestion.
This project, valued at €201 million, involves contributions from various sources:
- €71 million from EuroHPC JU, the EU’s supercomputing agency.
- €70 million from the Dutch government.
- €60 million from Nij Begun, a program dedicated to repairing Groningen and northern Drenthe following earthquake activity related to gas extraction.
The European share was secured in October 2025, with the selection of six new AI factory sites across Europe. The original goal was for the supercomputer to be operational by early 2027; however, ** Axel Berg**, responsible for the tender process at SURF, acknowledged that cost increases and supply chain disruptions have impacted hardware pricing and delivery times, potentially scaling back the system’s capabilities and adjusting the timeline.
While the final GPU allocation for Groningen remains undetermined, the project's expertise centre, located in the former Niemeyer tobacco factory, is already facilitating projects by connecting them with unused computing power from other European AI factories.