Polar to add 40MW AI data center at Norway campus
Polar Data Centers has announced DRA02, a 40MW AI-ready facility at its Drangedal campus in Norway. The expansion is aimed at hyperscale, cloud and AI customers that need higher-density compute, advanced cooling and renewable-powered infrastructure.
Why it matters: - Polar is expanding one of its core European campuses as demand rises for AI-ready infrastructure that can handle higher power densities and liquid cooling. - The Drangedal buildout adds capacity for hyperscale, cloud and high-performance computing customers looking for scalable compute in a renewable-powered market. - Norway’s hydroelectric grid and cool climate give the campus an energy and efficiency advantage for large AI deployments.
What happened: - Polar Data Centers announced DRA02, a new 40MW AI-ready data center at its flagship campus in Drangedal, Norway. - The announcement marks the next phase of Polar’s long-term plan to build AI infrastructure across Europe. - DRA02 follows the existing DRA01 facility at the same campus. - CEO Andy Hayes said the project extends Polar’s commitment to sustainable, high-performance data center infrastructure in Norway.
The details: - DRA02 will deliver about 40MW of IT capacity across more than 21,300 square metres of technical space. - The facility will use direct liquid cooling. - The site is being designed for the latest GPU technologies and chipsets. - Polar says both the critical infrastructure and customer space are being built to support current and future generations of AI hardware. - The campus will be powered by renewable Norwegian hydroelectric energy. - Polar says the facility is designed to support efficiency and customers’ environmental goals. - The Drangedal campus is adjacent to the award-winning DRA01 facility.
Between the lines: - The announcement shows how data center developers are positioning campuses around AI demand, not just general cloud growth. - Polar is leaning on sustainability as a commercial advantage, pairing renewable power with advanced cooling and high-density engineering. - The customer-led design approach suggests Polar is trying to match facilities more closely to workload requirements over the full lifecycle of AI deployments.
What's next: - Construction of DRA02 is now part of Polar’s broader European growth strategy. - Once complete, the expanded Drangedal campus is expected to serve AI, cloud and high-performance computing workloads. - Polar says the finished campus will be one of Europe’s most advanced environments for those use cases.
The bottom line: - Polar is scaling its Norway campus to capture growing AI infrastructure demand with renewable-powered, liquid-cooled capacity.
Disclaimer: This article was produced by AGP Wire with the assistance of artificial intelligence based on original source content and has been refined to improve clarity, structure, and readability. This content is provided on an “as is” basis. While care has been taken in its preparation, it may contain inaccuracies or omissions, and readers should consult the original source and independently verify key information where appropriate. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, investment, or other professional advice.
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