Nscale, Microsoft partner on large-scale campus in West Virginia

Author: Joe Peck

Nscale, a UK developer of AI data centres and cloud infrastructure, has signed a letter of intent with Microsoft to deliver 1.35GW of AI compute capacity at the Monarch AI campus in West Virginia, in collaboration with NVIDIA and Caterpillar.

The development will deploy NVIDIA’s next-generation Vera Rubin NVL72 GPU systems, based on the NVIDIA DSX AI Factory reference design, with the undertaking expected to begin in phases from late 2027.

In addition to this news, Nscale has also announced the acquisition of American Intelligence & Power Corporation (AIPCorp), which includes the Monarch Compute Campus in Mason County. The site spans up to 2,250 acres (9.1 km²) and is designed as a state-certified AI microgrid, with the potential to scale beyond 8GW of power capacity.

Hyperscale AI infrastructure and power integration

Under the agreement, Nscale will construct and operate the data centre infrastructure, with Microsoft supporting long-term compute services and lease arrangements.

The campus is intended to support large-scale AI training and inference workloads, with high-speed connectivity to major US data centre hubs, including Ashburn and Chicago.

As part of the project, Caterpillar will supply G3500 series natural gas generator sets, with plans to deliver up to 2GW of on-site power generation by the first half of 2028.

The microgrid design enables the facility to operate independently of the local grid, while also allowing for potential future grid integration.

The development reflects increasing demand for AI-driven data centre capacity, with industry forecasts indicating significant growth in global power requirements over the coming years.

The Monarch campus is expected to build on Nscale’s existing capacity and support expansion of large-scale AI infrastructure in the US.

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