Former Hydrogen Executives Launch Reikna, Target 50MW Data Center in Norway's Vestland Region

Former Hydrogen Executives Launch Reikna, Target 50MW Data Center in Norway's Vestland Region

April 9, 2026

A new venture founded by former executives of Norwegian hydrogen firm HYDS is aiming to capitalize on Norway's abundant renewable energy resources by entering the data center market. Reikna AS has announced plans to develop a sustainable data center campus in Western Norway, highlighting a growing trend of energy-intensive industries seeking locations with reliable, clean power infrastructure.

The company this week revealed its intention to purchase land at the Grøn Næringspark industrial park in Husnes, Vestland county, for its first project, named NDC Husnes. A final investment decision is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, with construction expected to commence immediately upon approval. The initial phase of the facility is projected to launch in 2028 with a capacity of 50 megawatts (MW), with the potential for the entire site to scale up to 150MW in the future.

Reikna's broader ambition is to develop a portfolio of data centers across Norway totaling 300MW by 2030. The company is currently in the final stages of raising capital and securing strategic partners to finance the Husnes project and its wider expansion plans.

Founding partner Thor Henrik W. Hagen emphasized the strategic choice of location, stating, "We are convinced that Husnes and Grøn Næringspark is one of the best-positioned locations in the country for this type of infrastructure. The combination of available renewable power, a suitable site, a forward-looking and supportive municipality, and an active business environment is unique."

The project underscores a shift towards integrating data centers more deeply into local economies. Vigdis H. Hope, another founding partner at Reikna, added, "We don't just want to build a data center. We want to help create a new and sustainable industrial cluster at Husnes, where the energy we use comes back to the local environment in the form of heat, expertise, and jobs."

The move represents a significant entry into the Nordic data center market, a region prized for its cool climate and green energy grid. By leveraging excess renewable power, projects like NDC Husnes aim to appeal to hyperscalers and enterprises with stringent sustainability goals, potentially setting a new benchmark for eco-industrial development in the sector.

Source: datacenterdynamics