South Korean technology company NAVER is expanding its global cloud and AI infrastructure footprint with plans to build a large-scale AI data center in Morocco. The development will be carried out in partnership with NVIDIA, AI infrastructure specialist Nexus Core Systems, and international investment firm Lloyd Capital. The new facility is designed to serve the growing demand for autonomous AI computing services across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
The planned data center will ultimately reach a capacity of 500 megawatts and operate entirely on renewable energy, reflecting both sustainability goals and regulatory requirements within the EMEA region. Morocco’s strategic location – just 15 kilometers from Europe and connected by numerous subsea fiber-optic cables – was a key factor in the site selection.
NAVER Cloud, Nexus Core Systems, and Lloyd Capital will jointly operate the facility, which will host an integrated platform for AI services and applications. According to NAVER, the project aims to create a sovereign AI and cloud infrastructure capable of locally handling data storage, processing, and deployment, in alignment with Europe’s growing focus on data sovereignty and digital autonomy.
Blackwell (GB200) GPUs
The first phase of construction will begin in Q4 2025, with an initial deployment of 40 megawatts of supercomputing power based on NVIDIA’s latest Blackwell (GB200) GPUs. The site is expected to scale up gradually to its full 500 MW capacity. As part of the project’s energy sustainability strategy, the consortium has signed a renewable energy supply agreement with TAQA, a key regional power provider, ensuring long-term access to clean electricity.
NAVER sees this project as a strategic move to position its AI and cloud technologies beyond its existing markets in Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. “This collaboration will be a pivotal moment for NAVER’s cloud and AI technology to reach the European market,” said Chae Seon-ju, head of Strategic Business at NAVER. “We aim to strengthen our capabilities and extend partnerships to remain a leading player in the global AI value chain.”
NAVER also emphasized its end-to-end AI capabilities – from data handling and cloud infrastructure to supercomputing and AI services – positioning itself as a strong contender to meet European needs for technological sovereignty and secure, autonomous infrastructure.
