OpenAI · Stargate · Financial Times · Nvidia · CNBC Technology
OpenAI pauses UK stargate project amid regulatory and energy price concerns
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OpenAI's Stargate project in the U.K. is being paused, with the company pointing towards the cost of energy and the country's regulatory environment.
Key facts
- The company was aiming to explore offtake of up to 8,000 GPUs in the first quarter of 2026, with the potential to scale to 31,000 GPUs over time
- The project was expected to be based across several sites, including Cobalt Park, which will form part of the newly designated AI Growth Zone in the North East, an OpenAI statement at the time read
- The U.S. AI startup announced plans for the major infrastructure project in September, saying it would deploy up to 8,000 GPUs in partnership with Nscale and Nvidia
- When announced, Stargate UK was seen as a driver of the country's AI strategy
Summary
The U.S. AI startup announced plans for the major infrastructure project in September, saying it would deploy up to 8,000 GPUs in partnership with Nscale and Nvidia. "We continue to explore Stargate U.K. and will move forward when the right conditions such as regulation and the cost of energy enable long-term infrastructure investment," an OpenAI spokesperson told CNBC in a statement. Industrial energy prices in the U.K. are among the highest in the world. Lawmakers in the U.K are also looking to develop new regulations around how AI models use copyrighted work.