Google: Norwegian mayor debunks claim that Google new facility will need 860MW

Mayor of the Skien municipality, Marius Roheim Aarvold has said claims that Google’s upcoming data center campus in Norway will require 860MW of power to support its planned data center campus in Gromstul, Skien municipality.are false. Local press had reported that Microsoft formerly applied for 860MW of power which is around 5% of Norway’s total energy capacity. However, Aavold wrote an op-ed saying that news is false.

Marius Roheim Aarvold said, “The power request of 860MW was made at the request of Statnett, and as an attempt to estimate what might be the industrial area's maximum need in a very long-term perspective such as 20 years from now. Google's needs therefore constitute a proportion of the total applied power needs in the region.”

He added, “They [Google] have communicated what they have been granted in terms of capacity: 100MW, and are waiting for an answer for 20MW for a first construction stage. They are hoping for a further 120MW to be able to realize a second construction stage, towards 2030. “Local consultants and contractors have been engaged, and Google is financing the main part of a strengthened power infrastructure (Gromstul switching station).