Google to Invest €13 Billion in Finland for AI Infrastructure
Google will invest at least €13 billion in Finland between 2027 and 2028 to expand its AI and digital infrastructure, marking the company's largest single investment in Europe. The plan covers data centres and supporting infrastructure in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala, alongside investments in clean energy, electricity-grid resilience and local community programmes.
The investment comes as Google expands computing capacity to support growing demand for services including Gemini, Search, Maps and YouTube. Finland's relatively low-carbon electricity system, cold climate and available grid capacity have made the country an increasingly attractive location for energy-intensive data centres.
New Data Centres Will Expand Google's Finnish Footprint
Google already operates a data centre in Hamina, which it established after converting a former paper mill acquired in 2009. The company has used seawater cooling at the site and has also developed a heat-recovery system designed to supply heat to Hamina's district heating network.
The new investment will expand Google's infrastructure footprint beyond Hamina. Google has acquired land in Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala, while working with Finnish grid operator Fingrid to identify locations where new facilities can connect efficiently to existing electricity infrastructure.
Google Secures Long-Term Nuclear Power
A major part of the expansion is a 22-year power purchase agreement with Finnish energy company Fortum. Under the agreement, Google can purchase up to 50% of the capacity of Fortum's Loviisa nuclear power plant from 2030 through 2049.
Fortum says the agreement provides the long-term revenue certainty needed to support a lifetime extension and power upgrade for Loviisa through 2050. The plant currently supplies around 10% of Finland's electricity and employs about 580 people.
Google will also work with Fortum under a separate memorandum of understanding covering potential new nuclear generation, renewable energy and electricity-flexibility projects. The agreement is part of Google's effort to add low-carbon power alongside the growth of its data-centre operations rather than relying solely on existing grid capacity.
Wind and Battery Projects Support AI Expansion
Google's Finnish energy strategy extends beyond nuclear power. The company has signed additional power purchase agreements supporting onshore wind projects in the Ostrobothnia and Central Finland regions, bringing the total new-to-the-grid onshore wind capacity supported by Google in Finland to 629 MW.
The company is also backing a new 94 MW battery system near its planned Kajaani site. The battery is expected to become operational in late 2027 and will provide additional flexibility to the Finnish electricity grid, helping balance supply during periods when renewable generation is lower.
The combination of data-centre expansion and new energy investments is intended to reduce pressure on Finland's electricity system. Google's approach is particularly relevant as AI workloads require significantly more computing power and electricity than many traditional digital services.
Investment Expected to Create Thousands of Jobs
Google estimates that the investment will contribute an average of €3.6 billion annually to Finland's GDP during the initial 2027–2028 construction period and support more than 37,000 jobs nationwide. Once the facilities are operational, the company expects them to support around 7,000 jobs each year across direct operations, suppliers and related local services.
The expansion also builds on Google's existing economic footprint in Finland. From 2023 to 2025, the Hamina operation worked with more than 600 Finnish suppliers involved in construction, operations and network infrastructure, according to Google.
Finland Becomes a Key AI Infrastructure Hub
Google's announcement adds to a wider European race to expand data-centre capacity as demand for AI computing accelerates. Finland offers several advantages for this expansion, including a relatively cool climate that can reduce cooling requirements and a power system with a significant share of low-carbon electricity.
The company says its Finnish infrastructure will support both domestic and broader European digital services. The Hamina site is also connected to Google's global network of 43 cloud regions, providing Finnish organisations with low-latency access to cloud and AI services.
For Google, the €13 billion commitment is about more than building additional data-centre capacity. By pairing the investment with nuclear, wind, battery and grid initiatives, the company is attempting to secure the electricity needed to expand AI infrastructure while limiting the impact of that additional demand on Finland's wider power system.
