Google chooses Finland for major AI data centre investment
Google announces its largest single investment in Europe, building three new data centres in Finland and securing a 22-year nuclear power deal.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Google makes its largest single European investment in Finland for AI.
- Three new data centres will be built alongside an existing site expansion.
- A 22-year clean energy contract was signed with Finnish utility Fortum.
US tech giant Google has announced a massive investment package in Finland, marking its largest single capital injection in Europe to date. The initiative is designed to fund three new data centres, expand an existing facility, and support clean energy projects to keep pace with the soaring global demand for artificial intelligence services and advanced computing infrastructure.
As a critical component of the agreement, Google has entered into a 22-year contract with Finnish utility provider Fortum. Under this long-term deal, the tech company will purchase up to 50% of the electricity generated by the Loviisa nuclear power plant, providing financial certainty that will allow Fortum to extend the plant's operational lifespan and boost its overall generating capacity.
Finland has increasingly become a magnet for major tech infrastructure due to its naturally cool climate, which significantly cuts down the energy required to cool massive server rooms. Additionally, the country offers an abundance of low-carbon electricity and a relatively uncongested power grid, making it an ideal location as technology companies race to secure reliable power supplies for the ongoing AI boom.
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Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The new data centres will be constructed in Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala, while the company's existing facility in Hamina—originally converted from a former paper mill back in 2009—will undergo substantial expansion. This robust infrastructure will back critical products including the Gemini AI chatbot, Search, Maps, and YouTube, while also funding local biodiversity, education, research, and workforce development initiatives.
The strategic shift toward securing long-term nuclear power contracts highlights how energy scarcity has become a defining bottleneck for data centre expansion. By locking in carbon-free baseload power, tech giants are addressing both aggressive climate targets and the relentless power demands of machine learning workloads.
"The value of the data economy extends far beyond direct investment into spurring innovation, research and development."
Petteri Orpo
Source: BBC World
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