Armada begins European AI infrastructure production in Dublin
Author: Joe Peck
Armada, a US provider of modular edge data centres and connectivity for remote sites, and Johnson Controls, a global provider of smart building technologies, have begun production at Galleon Forge Two, a manufacturing facility in Dublin, Ireland, producing modular data centre infrastructure for sovereign AI deployments.
The facility is Armada’s first European manufacturing operation and the second Galleon Forge established at a Johnson Controls site, following Galleon Forge One in Gilbert, Arizona, USA.
The companies marked the start of production with the completion of the first Dublin-built Leviathan, a modular data centre with multi-megawatt capacity destined for Fossefall in Norway. The unit was engineered, integrated, and tested at the Dublin facility.
Leviathan combines Armada’s computing infrastructure and software with Johnson Controls’ thermal management technology and manufacturing capabilities. Its thermal systems include coolant distribution units, chillers, and building controls, alongside cooling technologies designed to reduce water consumption, energy use, and noise.
Manufacturing capacity expands across Europe
Galleon Forge Two occupies 90,000ft² (8,361m²) at Johnson Controls’ Dublin manufacturing site and is supported by approximately 700 engineers, technicians, and other skilled workers. The operation is also expected to involve additional roles across the European supply chain.
The first Galleon Forge, located in Gilbert, Arizona, is expected to begin continuous production in early 2027. The facility will cover up to 400,000ft² (37,161m²) and support more than 500 jobs, with further employment across the domestic supply chain. Armada also plans to expand manufacturing at a Johnson Controls site in Edmonton, Canada.
The manufacturing model is intended to allow countries and regions to produce sovereign AI infrastructure domestically, using local workforces and supply chains.
“The speed of the sovereign AI revolution requires a new approach to meet demand,” says Dan Wright, co-founder and CEO of Armada. “The Galleon Forge model keeps producing and it’s designed to keep expanding. We can now deliver to any nation or organisation that needs advanced computing infrastructure manufactured within its own borders, owned and controlled on its own terms.”
Austin Domenici, President of Global Data Centre Solutions at Johnson Controls, adds, “We’ve been building modular infrastructure for nearly two decades. What’s different today is the scale, density, and speed AI demands.
“With Armada, we’re combining that experience with our thermal expertise and manufacturing scale to complete more of the complex integration work in the factory and bring compute online faster and more predictably.”
Leviathan operates using the Armada Platform, which manages power, cooling, and computing across individual units and supports open-source and proprietary AI models. Customers own the infrastructure and retain control of its operation without relying on an external cloud provider. Through the Armada Sovereign SI Grid, multiple Leviathan units can operate as a fleet.
Initial deployments in Norway and Australia
Norwegian company Fossefall has ordered five Leviathan modular data centres, with combined capacity exceeding 9MW. Deliveries are scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2027, beginning with the unit produced in Dublin.
Øyvind Vesterdal, CEO of Fossefall, comments, “Europe needs more advanced computing infrastructure, and the focus now needs to be on getting projects built.
“Working with Armada and Johnson Controls gives us a more standardised and modular approach to deployment. This can help shorten timelines and make projects easier to develop in close cooperation with local communities. With access to clean energy, political stability, and a suitable climate, the Nordics are well positioned for large-scale AI infrastructure.”
In Australia, WinDC plans to deploy 11MW of modular data centre capacity across renewable energy sites, locating computing infrastructure close to wind, solar, and battery generation.
“Australia’s energy transition depends on building AI infrastructure in the right place, where the renewable energy is, rather than waiting for a grid that can’t scale fast enough to carry it,” notes Andrew Sjoquist, founder and CEO of WinDC. “Leviathan lets us bring compute directly to clean power and scale it with the workload.”
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