Polar Expands Crusoe AI Infrastructure Partnership in Norway With 40MW DRA02 Facility

Polar Data Centers, a European developer and operator of AI-ready data center infrastructure, has announced an expansion of its partnership with Crusoe, the AI factory company, adding a new 40MW AI infrastructure development at its DRA02 facility in Tørdal, Norway. The move builds on the successful deployment and operation of Crusoe's AI infrastructure at Polar's DRA01 site and signals deepening confidence between the two companies as demand for AI computing capacity continues to surge across Europe.

The expansion comes at a pivotal moment for the region's AI infrastructure market, as hyperscalers and AI cloud providers race to secure reliable, high-density capacity powered by renewable energy. Norway has emerged as an attractive destination for such workloads, given its abundant hydroelectric resources and favorable climate for cooling-intensive GPU deployments. The partnership between Polar and Crusoe, first announced around DRA01 in June 2025, has now progressed from initial deployment into stable operations, a milestone that underpins the decision to move forward with the next phase.

DRA01 is now live, delivering 12MW of IT capacity powered entirely by 100% hydroelectric energy. The facility combines modular infrastructure, advanced cooling technology, and resilient electrical systems designed around the requirements of the latest GPU deployments, providing an operational environment tailored to support Crusoe Cloud, the company's AI cloud platform and services. DRA01 was recognized as "Most Successfully Delivered Data Centre" at the Data Centre World Awards 2026, underscoring the execution capabilities of the Polar team.

Building on that track record, DRA02 is also powered by hydroelectric energy and is expected to go live in late 2027, with plans to deliver an additional 40MW of critical, liquid-cooled IT capacity. Crusoe intends to deploy NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 systems at DRA02 to support its AI cloud expansion in Norway, according to the announcement. The expansion reflects Polar's approach to developing long-term customer partnerships: delivering initial capacity successfully, operating it reliably, and creating a platform that can scale as customers' requirements grow.

"Our ambition has always been to help our customers develop the future of AI, and our relationship with Crusoe is a great example of that in action," said Andy Hayes, CEO of Polar. "We've successfully delivered DRA01, Crusoe is live and operating in Norway, and we're now moving forward together with the next phase of our partnership. The expansion into DRA02 demonstrates the strength of the collaboration and the confidence that comes from successful delivery. For Polar, it's about much more than bringing capacity online. It's about creating the infrastructure, operational performance, and customer relationships that enable our customers to continue scaling."

Cully Cavness, Crusoe's Co-founder, President and Chief Strategy Officer, said the expansion allows the company to serve some of the world's most innovative companies with reliable access to Crusoe Cloud's AI cloud services. "What makes Tørdal stand out is that it runs on 100% renewable hydroelectric power — the kind of innovative energy source that aligns with our value of bending the arc of energy towards sustainability," he said. "Polar has been a solid partner to help us scale our presence in Europe."

The expansion carries broader implications for Europe's AI infrastructure landscape. As AI workloads grow in scale and complexity, access to high-density, liquid-cooled capacity powered by renewable energy is becoming a critical differentiator for cloud providers and enterprises alike. Polar's growing European platform, which combines renewable power, resilient design, and high-density cooling capability, positions the company to capture a larger share of the continent's AI infrastructure buildout. For Crusoe, the DRA02 expansion strengthens its foothold in Europe and supports its mission to deliver scalable, energy-first AI infrastructure to customers worldwide.