Poland is fighting to secure a 3 billion euro AI gigafactory, the largest ICT investment in the country’s history. The government has locked in funding and the EU tender is set to launch within days, with Lithuania and the Czech Republic as key partners.
The Polish government passed a resolution on July 14 guaranteeing 400 million zloty in the first phase, as required by the European Commission. Dariusz Standerski, deputy minister of digitization, confirmed that talks are underway with three additional European countries. – The most important partner is the Czech Republic, where we have solid intergovernmental agreements – Standerski said.
Poland is targeting a medium-sized gigafactory with at least 75,000 GPUs, part of a broader EU plan to build seven AI gigafactories across member states. The total cost of construction will be covered by private firms, with public support reaching up to 1 billion euros. Half of that support will come from the European Commission under the InvestAI initiative, with the remainder provided by the host country.
Public funding and demand guarantees
Under the government’s plan, Poland will purchase computing power from the gigafactory rather than co-finance its construction directly. The state will spend the equivalent of 12.3 million euros in 2028, followed by 27 million euros annually between 2029 and 2032, and 15 million euros in 2033. – 14 lipca Rada Ministrów przyjęła uchwałę, gwarantującą środki na wejście Polski do konkursu – said Krzysztof Szubert, commercialization director at the Institute of Telecommunications.
Public sector buyers will also include the European Commission through EuroHPC, the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking. Private sector buyers could include global hyperscalers, defense and healthcare entities, state-owned companies, and comparable foreign firms.
Energy supply and strategic location
Poland currently operates about 100 data centers with a combined capacity of 200-220 MW. The planned gigafactory will require 100-120 MW. – Gigafabryka nie zachwieje systemem energetycznym – said Arkadiusz Dorynek from the Institute of Telecommunications. He noted that western Pomerania already produces 22 percent more energy than it consumes, and offshore wind farms in the north provide ample capacity.
A major data center is already planned in Choczewo, northern Poland, with connection conditions for 800 MW and potential expansion to 3.2 GW. The region is also where cables from offshore wind farms make landfall and where Poland’s first nuclear power plant is planned.
The EU tender is expected to be announced in the coming days, with a 15-week selection period. Services must begin within 18 months of signing the contract, meaning full operations could start by mid-2028. Standerski confirmed that if Poland does not win the bid, smaller projects will continue, particularly in northern Poland where energy resources are abundant.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Materiały prasowe / Instytut Łączności
