On September 9, Google announced an investment of 13 billion euros in Finland between 2027 and 2028. October 6, Licensing and Supervision Agency (LVV) Finland’s Google subsidiary Tuike has ordered Finland to stop preparations that significantly alter the environment of two new data center projects, as their environmental impact assessment is still ongoing.
The affected areas are Muhos and Kazani. The intervention took place after felling trees, removing topsoil, building roads and storage areas, and altering excavations. In the Muhos project, data presented by Tuike indicates that the cleared and prepared area is equivalent to about 330 hectares. D Finnish Nature Conservation Society The preparations were called off and the group expressed concern about clearing areas deemed worthy of preservation.
The agency has set an Oct. 23 deadline to suspend such actions And October 14 is the deadline for submission of explanations. Google recognizes: “We didn’t live up to our high standards.” And said he acted “In good faith as per forest law”. He said that he studied nature, declared a protected area of natural value and planted 130 hectares of land in Muhos.
After Google informed the LVV on October 11 that it had stopped preparations at both sites, it added that stabilization work may be necessary to ensure work safety and that it would request instructions and prior written approval for the same.
Which jobs can continue and why have others stopped?
LVV allows the company to address requirements planning, measurement, soil studies and other tasks with minor impacts that are easy to reverse. Its prohibitions apply to excavation, blasting, crushing, earthworks and site drainage, as well as logging and access creation. The LVV links the termination of the suspension to the completion of the environmental impact assessment and to the competent authority’s reasoned conclusion.
Tommy Muilu, Head of Environment at LVVArgued that changing the terrain before completing the assessment could undermine the options that should be considered and the possibilities to prevent environmental damage. The organization first wants the organization to resolve the situation autonomously; If you fail to comply with the requirements, it envisages administrative coercive measures which can be reinforced with fines.
The Kajaani-Otanmäki project involves the construction of eight data center buildings The project area is about 405 hectaresincluding backup generators and temperature control equipment. Muhose wants to build the company Nine data center buildings on approximately 571 hectares of land. These sizes represent the complete project; The land has not yet been cleared. According to the Muhos project, cooling will also be studied by adding and returning water to the Olujocki River.
Electricity has its own date
The 13 billion announced includes investment in infrastructure and essential contracts Hamina, Kazani, Muhos and Wala. Google linked these investments to its demand for search engines, maps and building Gemini. For construction in 2027 and 2028, the company calculates that the aforementioned investment will help maintain more than 37,000 jobs in the country and contribute 3.6 billion euros to the annual gross domestic product. These are Google’s estimates for total investment; There are no permanent posts contracted for the two affected centres.
The plan will include new data centers in Kazani, Muhos and Vala as well as investment in the existing Hamina facility. Energy is another variable that contributes to the decision to build a data center in Finland. Its cold climate reduces the energy needed to cool servers, while low-carbon electricity is attractive to companies like Google.
Google announced that it has signed a 22-year power contract with Fortum, which extends the useful life of the Loviisa nuclear power plant until 2050. The contract will begin covering a small capacity in 2028 and will reach 50% of the plant’s production capacity between 2030 and 2049. To be implemented gradually for contracted electricity. Investments announced in September include data centers and the aforementioned nuclear deal.
The American company also reported a 94 MW power battery near Kazani, planned for late 2027, as well as Wind contracts total 629 MW of new contracted capacity in Finland. Based on tests conducted at the Hamina facility during the energy crisis of 2022 and 2023, Google intends to explore temporarily reducing power demand from its data centers when the grid is under stress.
These contracts represent their solution for electricity supply, but the requirements related to Muhos and Kazani refer to the preparation of the land before the environmental impact study is completed. October 23 was the deadline to stop these preparations; The requirement does not indicate a date for their resumption, but requires the completion of an environmental impact assessment and a reasoned conclusion by the appropriate body of authority about the impact of the projects.
Picture | Google, Magnificent (KimSunHo)
