Norway Emerges as Nordic Data Center Hotspot With Multiple New Projects
May 15, 2026
Norway Emerges as Nordic Data Center Hotspot With Multiple New Projects
A wave of new data center developments is sweeping across Norway, signaling the country’s growing appeal as a prime location for high-performance computing and AI infrastructure. From a 40MW facility on the southeastern coast to ambitious multi-phase projects in the west and north, developers are racing to capitalize on Norway’s abundant renewable energy, strong connectivity, and favorable environmental conditions.
Nordic data center firm Polar DC is spearheading a new 40MW facility in Herøya, a peninsula in Porsgrunn Municipality, Telemark County, approximately 140km southwest of Oslo. Known as HER01, the 39,000 sqm (419,712 sq ft) site is located within the Herøya Industrial Park and is ready for construction. The company announced this week that the facility will support the long-term, large-scale deployment of AI-focused infrastructure. “Our Herøya development represents the next step of our expansion strategy in Norway,” said Andy Hayes, CEO of Polar. “By continuing to invest in locations that combine renewable energy, strong connectivity, and favorable environmental conditions, we are building a platform that enables our customers to deploy AI infrastructure at scale, sustainably and efficiently.” The Porsgrunn Municipality first signaled Polar’s interest in the industrial park in January as part of a zoning change proposal. Launched last year, Polar bills itself as a developer of next-generation data centers for HPC and AI workloads. The company has existing projects in Drangedal, Tørdal, and near Oslo. Hayes, previously CTO at hyperscale developer Yondr, leads the firm, which is majority-owned by H.I.G. Capital. Crusoe, a customer using a Polar DC facility for its AI cloud, is set to be hosted in Drangedal.
Meanwhile, another Nordic developer, Arcem, is planning a major 130MW data center at Arnatippen in Søndre Arna, Bergen. Announced last month, the project is set to be built on land previously earmarked as a landfill. Plans have been submitted to Bergen municipality, though full details have not been disclosed. Arcem is backed by Norwegian investment company Daymo, its real estate subsidiary Fortigo Properties, and real estate firm Bonum. The company is also developing in Husnes, where it has secured 60,000 sqm of land in the Grøn Næringspark. The first 40MW phase of the 90MW project could go live in 2031. Husnes, the largest village in Kvinnherad Municipality in Vestland county, lies around 400km west of Oslo and 120km south of the Bergen project. Elsewhere, Arcem has applied for a 99MW grid connection to develop a data center at the former Sperre Støperi site in Elverum, Innlandet County, approximately 150km north of Oslo. The company is also seeking to develop a 50MW data center at Larkollveien 4 in Moss, a coastal town in Østfold county around 60km south of Oslo, with grid capacity secured from early 2028. Bonum acquired the site in 2019 with aims to develop housing. Arcem is also known to be exploring several projects in Finland.
In Karmøy, a municipality on Norway’s west coast more than 300km west of Oslo, officials are exploring the deployment of a government data center that could power local research, education, and business development. As part of the Karmøy AI Initiative, the municipality is evaluating options to develop a 15-acre data center on a 47-acre plot of land it owns at Spanne. The site is adjacent to an existing substation, and local stakeholders could include the University College of Western Norway, Norce, and the maritime industry. “A small-scale data center at Spanne could have very positive ripple effects for cooperation in Haugalandet, and it could be part of the future education of Haugaland residents,” said commune director Vikse Johnsen.
Norwegian investment firm Otterlei Group is also entering the market with plans to establish a data center at Tryland in Lindesnes, a municipality in Agder county on Norway’s southwest coast. The Municipality of Lindesnes noted last month that Otterlei officials outlined plans for a data center on land previously used for plastic pipe production. The facility is planned to be located in an existing building in the Tryland industrial area, with the company looking to reuse the facility’s waste heat for a nearby tomato farm. “This will help strengthen the local labor market,” said Hanna Myhre Kaupang, general manager of Otterlei and CEO of Tryland Data Center. “The fact that existing infrastructure can be largely used reduces the need for new interventions.” Otterlei’s investments span real estate, marine, food, automotive, and manufacturing sectors.
Source: datacenterdynamics
