Massive Power Consumption Hampers Shell Factory Expansion
European Defense Company: "Cat Videos Disrupt Production"
The popular Chinese video streaming platform 'TikTok' is facing criticism in Europe. This is due to the massive power consumption of a new data center it plans to establish, which is causing disruptions in the operation of a shell production factory that supplies Ukraine.
On the 26th (local time), the UK financial media Financial Times (FT) cited claims from the European ammunition and artillery manufacturing defense company 'Nammo,' reporting, "TikTok's new data center, to be built near Nammo's factory in Raufoss, central Norway, is expected to consume all the electricity in the area, causing problems for the expansion of the ammunition factory."
According to the media, Nammo is currently planning to increase shell production. Since the Russia-Ukraine war, the demand for shells by European armies has surged more than 15 times compared to peacetime, presenting a golden opportunity for Nammo, which mainly produces artillery and shells. Earlier, the European Union (EU) also agreed at the foreign and defense ministers' meeting held on the 20th to support Ukraine with one million shells. The EU plans to jointly purchase shells from member states' stockpiles and deliver them to Ukraine.
The problem is that TikTok's data center is also planned to be built near the site chosen by Nammo for its shell production factory. Large data centers filled with computer equipment and cooling devices consume enormous amounts of electricity.
TikTok plans to establish three such data centers in the Hamar area of Norway and has an option to add two more by 2025. Hamar is located 25 km east of Raufoss, where Nammo's production factory is situated.
Because of this, Nammo fears it may not receive timely power supply to operate its new production lines. The local power company 'Elvia' told FT, "The power grid is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis after application," adding, "If Nammo requests power, the transmission network must be reinforced, so it takes time for available capacity to become available."
Regarding this, Molten Brannsjag, CEO of Nammo, expressed dissatisfaction to the media, saying, "Our company's future is becoming difficult because of storing cat videos." He also claimed, "It is no coincidence that TikTok's data centers are located close to defense companies."
Meanwhile, European countries' wariness toward TikTok is increasing. Recently, the European Parliament and the European Commission, the EU's main legislative bodies, each issued statements announcing the cessation of TikTok use. The UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, and others have also banned the use of TikTok on government-owned electronic devices.
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