VivoPower Turns 60-Year-Old Norway Mo i Rana Firm into 40 MW AI Data Center

VivoPower PLC, the Nasdaq-listed (VIVO), B Corp-certified developer and owner of powered land and data center infrastructure for AI compute applications, has mobilized construction on the conversion of a 40 MW first phase AI data center at its Mo i Rana facility in northern Norway.

Local Firm Tapped for Demolition and Superstructure

The site works package has been awarded to Øijord & Aanes Entreprenørforretning AS, a Mo i Rana contractor that has operated in the region for more than 60 years.

The scope of the site works covers demolition, enabling works, and the main building superstructure, all delivered by the local Mo i Rana contractors in line with applicable Norwegian planning and building regulations.

These packages will be finished ahead of the full mechanical and electrical fit-out of the facility. VivoPower has conducted a tender review process for the fit-out with leading international data center supply chain partners and expects to award and announce that contract shortly, with an update to follow.

Design and delivery of the conversion will follow the requirements of the AI tenant. VivoPower has selected a global AI industry leader as its preferred AI tenant for the Mo i Rana facility.

Deliberate Engagement With the Rana Construction Base

Beyond Øijord & Aanes, VivoPower says it is committed to using as many local Mo i Rana suppliers and contractors as possible across the delivery of the project and plans to apply the same approach at other future AI data center facilities globally.

Two other local firms are already engaged: IMTAS, a Mo i Rana-based provider of engineering, fabrication, installation, and maintenance services across industry, construction, and energy, operating from Mo Industripark; and TH Blikk AS, a Mo i Rana building, façade, and roofing contractor with more than 15 years of experience and a team of 64 employees.

The company frames its local-first procurement as a way to support employment, skills development, and economic activity in the Rana region, while drawing on the industrial expertise built up in the Mo i Rana industrial precinct over many decades.

Shane Whelan, Chief Real Estate Officer of VivoPower, said the company has deliberately engaged with the local construction supply chain.

"We are delighted to be working with Mo i Rana firms such as Øijord & Aanes, IMTAS, and TH Blikk. Their skills and local knowledge will be invaluable as we move from site works towards the mechanical and electrical fit-out phase. We remain committed to delivering on a ready-for-service (RFS) date as expeditiously as possible but without compromising quality and safety given the long-duration nature of the infrastructure asset being built."

Stein Rune Øijord, Chief Executive Officer of Øijord & Aanes, said the firm looks forward to a strong and close collaboration with VivoPower and is proud to contribute to an exciting project that creates new opportunities for Mo i Rana.

Tommy Høgås, Chief Executive Officer of TH Blikk AS, welcomed the collaboration. "New development is positive for the local community, and we recognize the wider benefits it will bring to other local businesses. We are grateful for the opportunity to be involved in this project and strongly believe in its potential, both for the stakeholders involved and for the city as a whole. We look forward to contributing and achieving great results together."

Recently Acquired Site Already Supporting Grid Stability

VivoPower completed the acquisition of the operational Mo i Rana data center on April 21, 2026. As part of its plans for the site, the company has enrolled 30 MW of the existing facility in grid balancing services, which provide support to the stability of the regional power grid.

Power-to-X: Chasing Value From Every Megawatt

The 40MW conversion is being designed with the aim of capturing waste heat from its cooling systems for productive reuse, subject to technical and commercial feasibility.

VivoPower is working with a local district heating provider and European specialist firms to evaluate how that heat could be used.

Potential applications include supplying district heating to homes, businesses, and community organizations in Mo i Rana and supporting the growth of heat-intensive local industries, including but not limited to land-based aquaculture and greenhouse food production.

The eaquaculture is part of VivoPower's Power-to-X strategy, which the company describes as securing the highest and best use of every megawatt of its power infrastructure. At Mo i Rana, that extends beyond AI compute to the heat the facility generates and the flexibility it can offer the Norwegian power system.

VivoPower notes that Mo i Rana is well placed for this approach and that reusing heat from the AI data center would build on the established model of industrial symbiosis in the region. The company is engaged with local industry on Power-to-X use cases, including the use of waste heat to support and promote local industry and community growth.

Early Stage of Heat Reuse Negotiations

No definitive agreements have been entered into as yet in relation to heat reuse or other Power-to-X use cases. VivoPower says it will provide further details as arrangements are finalized and that further information on Power-to-X use cases will be shared at the appropriate time.