Two new Norwegian data center firms are looking to expand with new developments.

Fossefall is looking to develop in Harpefoss in central Norway, while PolarDC is targeting two sites south of Oslo in Drangedal and Porsgrunni.

Fossefall eyes Harpefoss

A new data center development is being planned in central Norway.

Local press reports Fossefall SPV 1 is looking to develop a data center in Harpefoss in the municipality of Sør-Fron.

Full details of the development haven’t been shared, but the company reportedly wants to develop on the site of the Harpefoss childcare center, which is set to close.

The municipal council is yet to decide on the proposal.

Sør-Fron is a municipality in Innlandet county in the center of Norway, some 240km north of Oslo. Harpefoss is a village in the municipality.

Fossefall launched last year with plans to establish 500MW of “clean” AI infrastructure by 2030. The company aims to develop “AI factories” powered by surplus renewable energy (namely hydroelectric) in the Nordics. Øyvind Vesterdal, CEO of Fossefall, was previously CEO of data center firm Earth Wind and Power.

The company acquired a data center in Fyresdal, Telemark, late last year. The site, acquired from Nosrk Data, can reportedly support up to 5.5MW. Fossefall reportedly aims to increase its capacity to 18MW.

Fossefall has partnered with US AI firm Seekr, which is both an investor and set to be a customer.

Polar DC looks to expand in Drangedal

Details have been released around Polar DC’s plans for a data center in Drangedal.

The Drangedal Commune this week said Polar DC is looking to extend its existing footprint with a planned extension known as DRA02.

Further details on the size of the expansion haven’t been shared, though the commune notes the project must do a cost-benefit analysis of the possibilities for utilizing surplus heat required of all data center projects above 2MW.

Currently being prepared, the cost-benefit analysis must be submitted to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), and it must be approved by NVE before construction begins.

Launched last year, Polar bills itself as a developer of the “next generation of data centers to facilitate the latest developments in HPC and AI workloads.”

On its website, Polar says its DRA site has 52MW in development on a 60,600 sqm (652,290 sq ft) plot. The company is developing a 12MW, 3,000 sqm (32,290 sq ft) facility (DRA01) in the Varpet industrial area in Tørdal, breaking ground in 2024.

A second site south of Oslo, HER, is set to 100MW on a 39,000 sqm (419,800 sq ft).

In the UK, the company lists a project near Doncaster (DON) that could offer 250MW across 32,500 sqm (350,000 sq ft). Full details haven’t been shared.

Polar is led by CEO Andy Hayes, who was previously CTO at hyperscale developer Yondr. Founded by Lian Group, alternative investment firm H.I.G. Capital acquired a majority stake in the company in October.

Crusoe is a customer, using a Polar DC facility for its AI cloud. It is set to be hosted in Drangedal.

Elsewhere in Norway, Polar DC is also looking to redevelop the former REC Solar offices in Porsgrunni in Telemark county, south of Oslo, near Norway’s southern coast.

Filed with the Porsgrunn municipality last month, the company aims to develop the property in the Herøya industrial park within the existing building.

On its website, Polar DC lists future plans to develop 800MW of capacity in Germany, 100MW in Sweden, and 140MW in Finland. Further details haven’t been shared.

The company has previously listed plans for DAL01, located on a 19,000 sqm (204,515 sq ft) plot 35km outside Bergen in Norway, reportedly had 20MW available with another 45MW in development, and would use river cooling. No longer listed, the site was said to be an existing industrial building previously used for manufacturing, and described as ready for fit-out for client needs.