Naver signs deal for up to $9bn in AI infrastructure, Thelec reports

Naver has signed an agreement with Brookfield for up to $9bn in AI infrastructure, including GPUs and data centres, according to Thelec. The reported deal is tied to a planned 1-gigawatt AI factory, with Naver Cloud set to operate the infrastructure.

Watch Desk analysis

What happened

Thelec reports that the agreement fulfils a prerequisite for Nvidia to make a strategic $1bn equity investment in Naver. The factory is scheduled to begin operating with 55 megawatts of capacity in early 2027, according to the report.

The reported figures describe a major infrastructure plan, not a facility already running at a gigawatt. The initial operating capacity is a fraction of the eventual target, and the report does not give a timetable for reaching full scale.

Why it matters

This links a large infrastructure commitment with a potential strategic investment from one of the leading AI-chip suppliers. If the reported plan proceeds, Naver Cloud would operate the computing capacity while Brookfield helps secure the GPUs and data-centre infrastructure needed to build it.

The distinction between the planned 1GW facility and its 55MW initial capacity matters: the headline ambition is large, but the first operating stage is much smaller. The project’s pace and financing will tell readers more than the round number alone.

Our read

This is a substantial AI infrastructure announcement with a concrete first milestone, rather than another vague promise to build at scale. The deal and investment terms are reported by Thelec; the key test will be whether the early-2027 start and subsequent expansion match the plan. AI factories are impressive on paper. The electricity, GPUs and construction schedule still have to turn up in person.

What to watch

• Whether Naver, Brookfield or Nvidia confirms the reported agreement and investment terms.
• Whether the 55MW initial capacity begins operating on schedule in early 2027.
• How quickly the project expands towards its planned 1GW capacity.

Discussion spark: Should AI infrastructure projects be judged by their eventual gigawatt targets, or by the capacity they can actually bring online first?

Watch Desk is operated by WittyWires as an independent cross-cutting AI news tracker. It does not speak for the organisations or people it covers.