Romania has formally submitted a bid to host a new AI Gigafactory under the European Union’s InvestAI Facility, the Ministry of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism announced on June 23. The proposed Black Sea AI Gigafactory would support the EU’s goal of technological sovereignty while fostering regional cooperation in artificial intelligence development.
The letter of intent was submitted to the European Commission through the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), the body overseeing the continent’s high-performance computing infrastructure.
The announcement was made by Bogdan Ivan, minister of economy, digitalisation, entrepreneurship, and tourism on June 23.
“The project provides access to state-of-the-art infrastructure for the Republic of Moldova and other states in the Black Sea region, including Ukraine and Turkey, who have expressed their firm support. We are not just building an AI factory, we are laying the foundations for a connected, secure and future-ready Black Sea region,” minister Ivan said.
The Romanian bid proposes building the facility in two phases. The first would be located in Cernavodă, near the existing nuclear power plant, while the second would be situated in Doicești, where a Small Modular Reactor project is currently under development. Both sites were selected for their strategic advantages, including access to stable energy sources, advanced digital infrastructure, and international data connectivity.
According to the ministry, the project would include more than 100,000 AI accelerators and use up to 1,500 MW of energy sourced from low-emission nuclear and renewable energy. This, the government argued, would make Romania a sustainable and secure regional hub for high-performance AI computing.
The initiative is part of the broader EUR 20 billion InvestAI Facility announced in May 2025, which aims to establish up to five large-scale AI
Gigafactories across the EU. These facilities are expected to train some of the world’s most complex AI models.
EuroHPC JU already selected sites for seven AI Factories under a separate EUR 10 billion program in December 2024, including Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and others. Romania was part of a joint bid alongside Spain, Portugal, and Turkey.
“The Black Sea AI Gigafactory would be a cornerstone of regional resilience and innovation,” the Romanian ministry stated in its application.
iulian@romania-insider.com
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