Google plans to invest €13 billion in Finland, including in data centres — The Express Tribune
Google plans to invest €13 billion in Finland over the next two years, including in the construction of data centres. This is the US company's largest investment in Europe, The Express Tribune reports.
The new facilities are expected to appear in the municipalities of Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala in the north of the country. The expansion plan also includes Hamina, where Google already operates a data centre. In Muhos, home to about 8,800 people, the company has bought land near major power transmission lines: forest has already been cleared on the site and preparatory work is underway.
Community expectations
Muhos Mayor Kimmo Hinno said that the project could fundamentally change the situation for the municipality and the Oulu region. According to him, thousands of workers of different nationalities are expected during construction, and they will need housing and services.
Local farmer Joni Pitkänen positively assesses the prospect of large-scale business activity emerging in the rural community, but expressed concern about readiness for significant electricity consumption. Other residents hope that the investment will encourage young people to remain in Muhos for work.
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Investigation into forest clearing
At the same time, Finland's supervisory agency LVV is examining whether Tuike Finland, which represents Google, cleared more than 300 hectares of forest in Muhos without the mandatory environmental impact assessment. The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation submitted the relevant request to the agency.
The association's board chair, Hanna Halmeenpää, said that, in the organisation's view, work at the site should be suspended until the legality of the project is clarified. She also claims that satellite imagery indicates the clearing of natural areas that should have been preserved.
Google told AFP that the clearing was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Forest Act, and that the company expects further clarification from LVV. Google's representative in Finland, Sondre Ronander, said the company had conducted extensive nature studies as part of zoning and environmental impact assessment procedures.
Finland attracts data centre investors with its cool climate and relatively stable and inexpensive electricity, most of which is generated without fossil fuels. At the same time, the development of such facilities has intensified debate in the country over electricity prices, grid capacity and environmental impact. A public initiative for stricter regulation of data centres' energy consumption collected more than 50,000 signatures in three days and is therefore to be considered.
