Polar adds 40MW AI-ready expansion at Norway campus

Polar Data Centers unveiled DRA02, a new 40MW AI-ready facility at its Drangedal campus in Norway, as demand rises for infrastructure built for hyperscale, cloud and AI workloads. The expansion is designed to pair renewable power with liquid cooling and higher-density compute support.

Why it matters: - DRA02 expands Polar Data Centers’ AI infrastructure footprint in Europe at a time when demand for purpose-built compute capacity is rising. - The new facility is aimed at hyperscale, cloud and artificial intelligence customers that need higher power density, advanced cooling and resilient infrastructure. - The project reinforces Norway’s role as a location for large-scale AI and cloud deployments because of renewable hydroelectric power, grid stability and a cooler climate.

What happened: - Polar Data Centers announced DRA02, a new 40MW AI-ready data center at its flagship campus in Drangedal, Norway. - The site is adjacent to Polar’s DRA01 facility. - The expansion is described as the next phase of Polar’s long-term strategy to build AI infrastructure across Europe.

The details: - DRA02 will deliver approximately 40MW of IT capacity across more than 21,300 square metres of technical space. - The facility includes direct liquid cooling. - DRA02 is designed to support the latest GPU technologies and chipsets. - Polar says both the critical infrastructure and customer space are engineered for current and future generations of AI hardware. - The campus is powered by renewable Norwegian hydroelectric energy. - Polar says the design supports high efficiency and customers’ environmental objectives. - The company said the campus reflects a customer-led development approach built around current and future technology requirements.

Between the lines: - The DRA02 buildout signals that AI infrastructure is shifting from generic colocation toward specialized facilities designed for heavier workloads. - Polar is positioning sustainability as part of the value proposition, not a separate feature. - The company is using DRA01 as a proof point and DRA02 as the scale-up step. - Andy Hayes, CEO of Polar Data Centres, said customers need capacity purpose-built for tomorrow’s workloads and that DRA02 extends the company’s commitment to sustainable, high-performance infrastructure in Norway.

What's next: - Construction of DRA02 is underway as part of Polar’s wider European growth strategy. - Once complete, the expanded Drangedal campus is expected to offer one of Europe’s most advanced environments for AI, cloud and high-performance computing workloads. - Polar is continuing to develop infrastructure that can support both current demand and future AI hardware generations.

The bottom line: - Polar is scaling one of Europe’s AI-ready data center campuses with a 40MW expansion built around renewable power, liquid cooling and high-density compute demand.