atNorth Acquires Land for First Norwegian Data Centre Site

The race to secure power and cooling-friendly locations for the next generation of data centres is gathering pace.

Across Europe, operators are looking beyond traditional hubs in search of sites that can support ever-larger AI and hyperscale deployments.

For atNorth, that search has led to its first acquisition on Norwegian soil.

The Nordic colocation and built-to-suit data centre provider has announced plans for a major new campus in Haugaland, marking its first expansion into Norway and completing its presence across all Nordic countries.

The project, known as NOR01, is set to become one of the company's largest developments to date, with a planned capacity of up to 350MW.

Located on a 36-hectare site within Haugaland Business Park, the facility will initially deliver 120MW before scaling significantly as demand grows.

Completing the Nordic footprint

The move represents a significant milestone for atNorth as demand for AI infrastructure, high-performance computing (HPC) and hyperscale capacity continues to rise across the region.

"Expanding to Norway has been a long-term strategic priority for us, and we're proud to officially mark our presence across all the Nordic countries with the announcement of NOR01," said Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO of atNorth.

"Haugaland Business Park is a strong industrial region that offers the ideal combination of renewable energy, excellent connectivity and a naturally cool climate, making it a highly attractive location for future-focused, AI workloads.

"We look forward to collaborating with the local community to deliver world-class digital infrastructure in a responsible way."

Norway has emerged as a favoured destination for large-scale data centre investment.

The country's electricity system is dominated by renewable generation, while established fibre connectivity provides low-latency links to major European and global markets.

Combined with cooler temperatures that reduce reliance on mechanical cooling systems, these factors have helped position the country as an attractive environment for energy-intensive digital infrastructure.

Building for scale

Power availability for NOR01 is expected from 2028, supported by two new substations.

One will be developed by Norway's transmission system operator Statnett, while the second will be delivered by regional grid provider Fagne.

The scale of the project reflects growing requirements from customers deploying AI and other high-density workloads, which are driving demand for campuses capable of supporting hundreds of megawatts of capacity.

Alongside power infrastructure, atNorth is also exploring opportunities to reuse waste heat generated by the facility.

The company says it is working with local stakeholders within the business park to identify partnerships that could improve energy efficiency and support wider sustainability goals.

Heat reuse has become an especially important consideration for Nordic operators as governments and local communities seek greater economic and environmental benefits from large digital infrastructure projects.

Local impact and future growth

Regional leaders have welcomed the investment, highlighting both economic and sustainability benefits.

"We are very pleased to welcome atNorth to Haugaland," said Monika Lindanger, Mayor of Tysvær Municipality.

"This project will not only bring in new investment and innovation to the region but will also support our local community through training and employment opportunities, our economy via sustainable industry development and our circular economy with beneficial heat reuse partnerships.

"We're proud to be part of this next chapter in the Nordic data centre evolution."

The Norwegian expansion follows a period of sustained growth for atNorth.

Earlier this year, the company announced plans for SWE04, a future mega-site in Sollefteå, Sweden. It has also continued to develop metro facilities in Sweden and Finland while expanding two existing data centres in Iceland.

Taken together, the projects underline how operators are positioning themselves for a new era of infrastructure demand driven by AI and large-scale computing workloads.

With NOR01 now added to its pipeline, atNorth has strengthened its presence across the Nordic region while securing another location designed to deliver the power availability and sustainability credentials increasingly sought by hyperscale customers.