MARYLAND MARKS THE SPOT
Last week, X-energy announced its sights were set on operations in Maryland. The advanced nuclear reactor and fuel company plans to move its current Rockville headquarters to an expanded office space just six miles away at the Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg. All 260 Rockville employees will transition to the new HQ site where the company expects to create over 500 new jobs within the next few years. About 26 miles northwest in Frederick County, X-energy will introduce a new 90,000-sq.-ft. non-nuclear test and training facility. This space will feature a helium test facility for full-scale integration systems testing in a pressurized helium environment, in addition to an experimental critical reactor components and materials test facility. It will be key for providing up-to-date Xe-100 parts and systems training for operators and technicians outside of training simulations, utilizing real-world test conditions that will enhance safety and reliability of products before the company begins manufacturing. “X-energy was founded in Maryland, and we are proud to call this state our home as we enter a period of unprecedented growth,” said J. Clay Sell, CEO of X-energy. “We look forward to working with Governor Moore and his team to build on the state’s long history of nuclear innovation by making Maryland a national leader in next-generation nuclear technology.” Construction work is slated to begin this year with the opening of the experimental testing center expected in early 2026.
LAUNCHING PROJECT STARTGATE
OpenAI has reported that its 230-megawatt data center project located in northern Norway is officially complete. The Narvik data center is the company’s first European facility, capable of housing an initial capacity of 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs, although plans to scale the facility could mean an additional 290 MW at the site in years to come. This facility comes as global usage of AI applications such as ChatGPT continue to rise, especially for of millions daily users across Europe. Project Stargate is jointly owned by AI infrastructure developer Nscale and Norway-based industrial company Aker, both of which worked on the project’s construction. “AI is a foundational technology that can boost productivity, drive economic growth and power new industries,” OpenAI stated in its original project announcement. “Large-scale compute capacity in Europe will help ensure that this transformation benefits people and communities — including developers, researchers, scientists and startups across Norway and Europe.” The town of Narvik was selected due to the region’s access to hydropower, its cool climate, low-cost renewable energy and quality industrial infrastructure. Another OpenAI Stargate project is moving forward in Abilene, Texas, as reported in the July issue of Site Selection.
Photo courtesy of Grifols
EXPAND BASED ON DEMAND
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Grifols will soon expand production capabilities in its home base of Barcelona. More than $169 million will go toward the construction of an 861,000-sq.-ft.-plus production plant in Lliçà de Vall, located within the Catalonia region. The facility is planned to join the company’s 61-acre biotechnology campus, adjacent to Grifols’ Parets de Vallès site, which will create 400 new jobs by its opening in 2030. “Spain and Catalonia are strategic partners for our long-term growth and for jointly advancing scientific progress in health care, as well as the region’s industrial, environmental and social development,” said Grifols CEO Nacho Abia. “Expanding our production capacity will allow us to meet the growing European demand for plasma-derived medicines from our new facilities. We are especially pleased to expand our presence in the Vallès Oriental area, which we plan to call home for a long time to come.” The plant will feature a plasma fractionation plant, quality control labs, logistics operations, engineering space and warehouses.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
