Crusoe and Polar bring 12 MW Norwegian AI facility online and add 40 MW at Tørdal

Polar Data Centers and Crusoe are extending their collaboration in Norway with a new facility at Tørdal, even as their first joint deployment reaches stable operations.

Second phase underway at Polar's Tørdal campus

Announced on October 21, 2026, the expansion centers on DRA02, the next phase of Polar's campus in the location, which is expected to come online in late 2027 and deliver an additional 40MW of critical, liquid-cooled IT capacity.

Like its predecessor, DRA02 will run entirely on hydroelectric power. Crusoe intends to install NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 systems at DRA02 as part of the next stage of its AI cloud expansion in Norway.

According to the companies, the added capacity significantly increases the scale available to support the growth of Crusoe Cloud in Europe and further afield. Polar characterised the move as consistent with how it works with customers: delivering initial capacity successfully, operating it reliably, and building a platform that can grow as requirements increase.

DRA01 reaches full operation

The first result of the partnership, DRA01, is now live with 12MW of IT capacity. The Tørdal facility runs on 100% hydroelectric energy and currently supports Crusoe Cloud, Crusoe's AI cloud platform and associated AI services.

The building combines modular infrastructure, advanced cooling technology and resilient electrical systems designed around the demands of the most recent GPU deployments, per the announcement.

Polar and Crusoe first confirmed their work together on DRA01 in June 2025, and the shift from initial deployment into steady operation represents a significant point in the collaboration.

What the executives said

Andy Hayes, Polar's CEO, said the company's ambition has always been to help its customers develop the future of AI, describing the relationship with Crusoe as a strong example of that in action. He noted that DRA01 has been delivered and that Crusoe is live and operating in Norway, with the partnership now advancing into its next phase together.

Hayes added that the move into DRA02 reflects the strength of the collaboration and the confidence built through successful delivery. For him, it comes down to creating the infrastructure, operational performance and customer relationships that allow customers to keep scaling.

Cully Cavness, Co-founder, President and Chief Strategy Officer at Crusoe, said the Norwegian expansion enables Crusoe to serve some of the world's most innovative companies with dependable access to Crusoe Cloud's AI cloud services.

He pointed to Tørdal's 100% renewable hydroelectric supply as the kind of innovative energy source that fits Crusoe's value of bending the arc of energy towards sustainability, and called Polar a solid partner in helping the company grow its presence in Europe.

Awards and wider plans

Ahead of reaching live operations, DRA01 was named "Most Successfully Delivered Data Centre" at the Data Centre World Awards 2026. The companies said the recognition underlines the quality and execution behind Polar's first major Norwegian deployment.

With DRA02, the relationship enters its next stage and supports Polar's broader vision of accelerating AI infrastructure and providing the platform customers need to develop the future of AI.

The companies behind the project

Polar Data Centers develops and operates AI-ready data center infrastructure across Europe. Its high-performance facilities are optimised for AI and high-density computing workloads, and the company describes its growing European platform as combining renewable power, resilient design, high-density cooling capability and a customer-led approach to development and operations.

Crusoe, which calls itself the AI factory company, works to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. It provides AI infrastructure by harnessing large-scale energy sources, constructing AI-optimised data centers and offering an AI cloud platform.