Finnish regulatory authorities issued orders halting construction work at two planned Google data centre sites, citing environmental concerns related to extensive forest clearance affecting over 300 hectares of land. The decision came after the Finnish Supervisory Agency determined that preparatory activities at the Muhos and Kajaani locations proceeded without required environmental impact assessments.
The agency’s findings indicated that work at the sites involved tree removal, topsoil excavation, construction of access roads and storage facilities, and modifications to drainage systems. The LVV ordered suspension of measures significantly altering the environment by October 23 and requested that Tuike Finland, the company managing Google’s data centre projects, submit explanations and plans for proceeding by October 14. The agency indicated potential enforcement proceedings could follow if the company failed to comply with its directive.
Google acknowledged the situation in a statement, indicating the company had not met its own standards and pledged to follow the agency’s guidance. The company stated it acted in good faith under applicable forestry regulations and had conducted nature surveys with protections for environmentally sensitive areas. Google outlined plans for landscaping and biodiversity initiatives, including tree planting across 130 hectares at the Muhos site.
The data centres are part of Google’s substantial European expansion program announced earlier, involving at least €13 billion in investments across 2027 and 2028. The initiative encompasses new facilities in Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala alongside upgrades to an existing installation in Hamina. Google secured a 22-year power purchasing agreement with Finnish energy provider Fortum covering approximately half the capacity of the Loviisa nuclear power plant, with projections that the construction phase would generate over 37,000 jobs and contribute approximately €3.6 billion annually to Finland’s economy.
Finland’s appeal to data centre developers stems from its favorable climate conditions for cooling server facilities and its supply of low-carbon electricity, factors contributing to reduced operational energy requirements for computing infrastructure.
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