German cloud and data center firm Polarise is targeting a new facility outside Munich.

The company this week announced plans to build an AI data center in Bavaria. The facility is to be built in Amberg, a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu.

Polarise will acquire the former Wertachtal shortwave transmission building and adjacent land from a consortium consisting of local utility Stadtwerke Bad Vilbel and the local citizens’ foundation. It will be converted into a data center. Terms of the sale were not shared.

“This project once again reflects our mission of building the AI infrastructure Germany needs to compete globally,” said Michel Boutouil, CEO of Polarise. “It’s a major step forward – and just the beginning.”

The facility will initially offer 30MW with a planned launch in mid-2027. The site could potentially reach 120MW.

“The planned data center represents both technological innovation and sustainability. It shows that digital progress and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. With this project, we are setting a clear course for the future of our municipality,” says Amberg’s First Mayor, Peter Kneipp.

Amberg is some 76km west of Munich. The Wertachtal transmitter site (Kurzwellensendeanlage Wertachtal in German) was the biggest shortwave broadcasting facility in Europe from 1972 to 2013. Built in 1969 ahead of the 1972 Munich Olympics, the site was operated by Deutsche Bundespost, and later by Freenet’s Media Broadcast GmbH, and demolished in 2014. It hosted 14 500kW radio transmitters and two 100kW radio transmitters. A solar farm was launched at the site in 2017.

WV Energie AG, an energy developer, operates a ground-mounted photovoltaic installation with approximately 70 MWp of generation capacity at the former Wertachtal site. The company aims to develop 31MWp of solar capacity and a 21MW wind farm, as well as a battery storage system, intended to cover the data center’s energy requirements.

“The use of renewable energy demonstrates that data centers and the energy transition are not in conflict – quite the opposite. When combined thoughtfully, this project shows how both can actually strengthen each other,” said Heinrich Bettelhäuser, CEO of WV Energie AG.

Based in Germany, Polarise offers bare metal, private cloud, and GPU services. The company recently launched an AI Factory in Germany in partnership with Deutsche Telekom and Nvidia in Munich, following its first AI factory in Oslo, Norway. Another is in development around Frankfurt.

European investment firm SWI Stoneweg Icona Group acquired a majority stake in Polarise last month. Polarise has previously secured financing from Macquarie.