Half of a 2007 industrial building at Herøya Industripark in Porsgrunn, last used for REC's production and empty since, is what Polar Data Centres has taken for HER01. The initial build is 40 MW on Norwegian hydroelectric power, designed to a PUE of 1.12, about 140 km south-west of Oslo. Polar announced the project on 12 May 2026 and its pollution-permit application went to public consultation at Porsgrunn kommune on 25 June 2026, with delivery targeted across 2026 and 2027. The funding landed in the same window: an 800 million euro senior secured Nordic bond, upsized from 750 million and four times oversubscribed, closed on 1 June 2026. The project company was incorporated on 26 August 2025. Polar's older Norwegian campus is at Drangedal, which is where its DRA site codes come from.
Permitting. The pollution-permit application went to public consultation at Porsgrunn kommune on 25 June 2026, and the operator targets delivery across 2026 and 2027.
How much capacity is planned for HER01?
40 MW in the initial phase, on renewable hydroelectric power, at a target PUE of 1.12.
What was the Herøya building used for before?
REC's production. The 2007 building had stood unused, and the data centre takes half of it to begin with.
How is Polar funding the Porsgrunn project?
Through an 800 million euro senior secured Nordic bond that closed on 1 June 2026, upsized from 750 million and four times oversubscribed.
What does the HER01 code stand for?
Herøya, the industrial peninsula in Porsgrunn where the building sits. The project company carries the same abbreviation.