- Google is investing over $15 billion into Finland over two years
- Nuclear energy, wind power and battery storage are top of mind
- The company is also improving local forests, adding new saunas
Google has announced plans to invest around $15.1 billion into Finland's AI and digital infrastructure over the course of the next two years, making it its largest single investment in Europe to date.
The company said the extra capacity is needed to meet growing local demand for services like Gemini, Maps and YouTube, but instead of just growing its data centers, Google is also allocating money for grid upgrades, clean energy projects, battery storage and more.
The country's cool climate and low-carbon electricity are especially attractive for hyperscalers as they try to improve the efficiency of data centers against a backdrop of heightened public and regulatory scrutiny.
Google is investing heavily in its Finnish data centers
The Hamina campus, which it's been running for around 15 years, is especially notable because it uses both seawater-based cooling to minimize its water consumption impact, as well as an offsite heat-recovery scheme to redirect waste heat into local properties.
Local communities in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala are set to receive a combined $36 million in funding to support upskilling and education, while as many as 37,000 jobs are expected to become available throughout the 2027-2028 construction phase.
On the energy front, Google has signed a 22-year power-purchase agreement to support the extension of the Loviisa nuclear plant and has drawn up plans to add new onshore wind capacity and a new 94MW battery facility to bridge the gap between renewable energy availability.
Google Global Infrastructure VP Bikash Koley also stressed the company's other community and environment investments, including native forest and wetland regeneration, accessible recreational trails, public saunas and fishing piers.
For Finland in particular, Google claimed to have invested around $4 billion in Hamina and related infrastructure alone since acquiring the site, a former paper mill, in 2009.
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