Nordic-size battery to power new Tydal AI data centre and local grid

At the Kirkvollen industrial site in Tydal, Tydal Data Center is constructing what will become the largest battery installation in the Nordics, designed to back an AI-driven data centre slated for partial operation in December and full operation by next spring. The 250 MWh system can sustain the centre for one hour or provide electricity to the city of Trondheim for roughly 45 minutes, cutting the need for diesel backup.

Founder and board chair Haakon Bryhni emphasizes the importance of capturing waste heat, planning to channel it via pipes to a municipal plot 500 metres away for potential greenhouse or aquaculture projects. Bloomberg has identified Anthropic as a prospective tenant, though Bryhni offered no comment. The venture follows a 2021 land purchase and a later acquisition of shares by Singapore-based Bitdeer, which now holds a stake in the data centre. Local officials, including mayor Jens Arne Kvello, have expressed support for the environmentally focused approach, while energy minister Terje Aasland has not responded to inquiries about stricter heat-use regulations.