Multiple new data center projects are being proposed in Norway.

Polar DC is looking to develop a 40MW site in Herøya.

Arcem, another Nordic developer, is planning projects in Bergen, Husnes, Moss, and Elverum.

Officials in Karmøy are looking to deploy a government data center. And Norwegian investment firm Otterlei Group plans to build a data center in Lindesnes.

Polar DC targets 40MW site in Herøya

Nordic data center firm Polar DC is looking to develop a new facility in Herøya, on the southeast coast of Norway.

Herøya is a peninsula in Porsgrunn Municipality in Telemark County, around 140km (86.9 miles) southwest of Oslo.

The 40MW facility, known as HER01, will be located on the Heroya Industrial Park. Announced this week, the company said the 39,000 sqm (419,712 sq ft) site is ready for construction and 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 announced Polar was interested in developing at the Heroya Industrial Park in January as part of a zoning change proposal.

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.”

The company has projects around Drangedal, Porsgrunni, Tørdal, and near Oslo.

Polar is led by CEO 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.

Arcem looks to build in Bergen, Husnes, Elverum, and Moss

Nordic data center firm Arcem is planning a major data center at Arnatippen in Søndre Arna, Bergen.

Announced last month, the 130MW project is set to be built on land previously earmarked as a landfill.

Plans have been submitted to Bergen municipality. Full details haven’t been shared.

Arcem is backed by Norwegian investment company Daymo, its real estate subsidiary Fortigo Properties, and real estate firm Bonum.

The company is also looking to develop in Husnes, and has secured 60,000 sqm (645,834 sq ft) of land in the Grøn Næringspark. The first 40MW phase of the 90MW project could go live in 2031.

Husnes is the largest village in Kvinnherad Municipality in Vestland county, near Norway’s west coast some 400km (248 miles) west of Oslo. It is around 120km (74 miles) south of the company’s Bergen project.

Elsewhere in Norway, Arcem has applied for a 99MW grid connection to develop a data center at the former Sperre Støperi site at Industrigata 22 in Elverum, a municipality in Innlandet County, around 150km north of Oslo.

Arcem is also seeking to develop a 50MW data center at Larkollveien 4 in Moss, just south of Bredsand, with grid capacity secured from early 2028. Moss is a coastal town and a municipality in Østfold county, around 60km south of Oslo. Bonum acquired the site in 2019 with aims to develop housing.

Arcem is also known to be looking at several projects in Finland, including in Pyhäjärvi, Rautalampi, Joroinen, Kuhmo, Salo, and Oulu.

Government data center eyed in Karmøy

Officials in Karmøy are looking to deploy a government data center that could power local research, education and business development.

Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, on Norway’s west coast more than 300km west of Oslo.

Karmøy officials said options are being explored to develop a 15-acre data center on the 47-acre plot of land that the municipality owns at Spanne as part of the Karmøy AI Initiative.

Full details on the project haven’t been shared, but the site is adjacent to an existing substation. 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.

Otterlei targets Tryland

Norwegian investment firm Otterlei Group plans to establish a data center at Tryland in Lindesnes.

Lindesnes is a municipality in Agder county, on Norway’s southwest coast some 380km southwest of Oslo.

The Municipality of Lindesnes last month noted officials from Otterlei attended a council meeting and outlined plans for a data center on land previously used for plastic pipe production.

The data center is planned to be located in the existing building in the Tryland industrial area. Full details of the proposed development haven’t been shared, but the company is looking to reuse the facilities 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 – including residential, retail, hotel, and industrial developments – as well as marine, food, automotive, and manufacturing.