Polar expands Crusoe partnership with 40MW Norway AI buildout

Polar Data Centers is expanding its partnership with Crusoe in Tørdal, Norway, as the DRA01 facility goes live and the companies move ahead with DRA02. The new phase adds 40MW of hydro-powered, liquid-cooled capacity and deepens Crusoe’s European AI infrastructure footprint.

Why it matters: - The expansion gives Crusoe more AI infrastructure capacity in Europe as demand for GPU-ready compute continues to rise. - Polar gets a larger long-term customer relationship built around live operations, not just initial delivery. - The Norway campus uses hydroelectric power, which keeps the buildout aligned with renewable-energy goals.

What happened: - Polar Data Centers announced an expanded partnership with Crusoe for its Tørdal campus in Norway. - DRA01 is now live and powering Crusoe Cloud. - DRA01 provides 12MW of IT capacity and runs on 100% hydroelectric energy. - The companies are moving into DRA02, the next phase of the campus, with the new facility expected to go live in late 2027. - Polar said DRA02 will add 40MW of critical, liquid-cooled IT capacity. - Crusoe plans to deploy NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 at DRA02 to support its next phase of AI cloud expansion.

The details: - DRA01 uses modular infrastructure, advanced cooling technology and resilient electrical systems built for the latest GPU deployments. - Polar said the facility was designed to provide a best-in-class operating environment for Crusoe Cloud and AI services. - Polar and Crusoe first announced the DRA01 partnership in June 2025. - Polar said the move from initial deployment to stable operations marks a milestone for the partnership. - DRA01 was recognized as “Most Successfully Delivered Data Centre” at the Data Centre World Awards 2026. - Polar describes its broader platform as AI-ready infrastructure for high-performance and high-density computing workloads.

Between the lines: - The partnership shift from one operational site to a larger second phase suggests Crusoe is satisfied with the performance and reliability of the Norway deployment. - The focus on renewable power and liquid cooling reflects how AI infrastructure is being built to handle higher density, higher energy demand and sustainability pressure at the same time. - Polar is positioning itself as a long-term infrastructure partner, not just a site developer. - Crusoe is using the Norway campus to widen access to its AI cloud services for customers in Europe and beyond.

What's next: - DRA02 is scheduled to come online in late 2027. - The new buildout is expected to expand Crusoe Cloud capacity and support continued growth in Europe. - Polar said the next phase will help create a platform that can scale as customer requirements grow. - The companies framed the expansion as part of a longer-term effort to develop infrastructure for future AI workloads.

The bottom line: - Polar and Crusoe are turning a successful Norway deployment into a larger, renewable-powered AI infrastructure platform with 40MW of new capacity on deck.