Morocco's plan to become North Africa's AI compute hub has moved from announcement to design. UK-based data centre specialist FiveNines Group has been appointed to lead development of a 20MW AI data centre near Casablanca for Nexus Core Systems.
The project
- First phase: a 20MW facility designed for high-density AI computing, now in early design.
- Bigger plan: it is part of the Nexus AI Factory platform, which targets 180MW of capacity powered entirely by renewable energy. Nexus announced the platform at GITEX Africa in Marrakech in April 2026 after signing a memorandum of understanding with Moroccan authorities. Trade outlet W.Media has put the wider project at about $1.2 billion.
- Chips: the facility will reportedly follow Nvidia's Vera Rubin NVL72 reference architecture, the company's latest generation of AI systems.
- Team: FiveNines will handle design management, standards, construction planning and procurement, working with Zutari as lead design consultant, R&B MEP on mechanical and electrical systems, and Fonto Energy on the substation.
FiveNines CEO Gerry Curran said the firm would combine its data centre expertise with Moroccan architects, engineers and authorities.
Why it matters
Africa has only a tiny share of the world's data centre capacity, and even less of the specialised infrastructure needed to train and run AI models. That means African companies and governments mostly rent compute from facilities in Europe, the Middle East or the US, paying in dollars and sending data abroad.
A large, renewable-powered AI facility in Morocco could change that for North and West Africa. Morocco has strong solar and wind resources, good subsea cable links to Europe and a government actively courting digital investment. It is betting that cheap clean power plus modern chips will attract both local and international AI workloads.
What to watch
- No completion date has been announced. Early design is the start of a long process that includes permits, power connections and construction.
- Who the customers will be: Moroccan government, local startups, or mainly foreign companies renting capacity.
- Whether the renewable power commitment holds at full 180MW scale.
If it is delivered, the Nexus project would be one of the most significant AI infrastructure investments on the continent.
