Today we announced our plans to expand our digital infrastructure in Finland, including new data centers and local investments and partnerships in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala.
For over 15 years, Google has been privileged to call Finland home, and partner locally to support the Finnish electricity system. Since our first onshore wind project became operational in 2019, our clean energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) have added more energy to the Finnish grid than we’ve used and helped pave the way for other companies to enter Finland’s PPA market. We’ve also directly supported our neighbors through local energy initiatives, such as transforming our Hamina data center into a sustainable source of heat for the community.
As we expand our presence in Finland, we are sharing our blueprint for responsible energy growth. This includes siting our data centers where they can support the Finnish grid, expanding our investment in Finland’s clean energy supply, and launching new community programs.
Smarter data center siting for a balanced grid
Building infrastructure responsibly starts with partnering with local experts to choose the best possible places for development. We worked closely with Fingrid, Business Finland, and local municipalities to identify locations for our future digital infrastructure in northern and central Finland where there is existing grid infrastructure and carbon-free energy. By using power closer to where it is generated, and where more generation can be built, we aim to be good grid citizens.
To better understand how smart siting can maximize benefits to the grid, we commissioned a study to model the impact of locating a hypothetical 1GW
of new energy demand in the Oulu–Kajaani region of Finland compared to the southern region. The study found that this smart siting could enable an estimated €520 million in savings to energy consumers across Finland over a 20 year period.
Powering our data centers responsibly
Everywhere we operate, we work hand in hand with local energy partners, governments, and community members to bring new energy solutions online and support the unique needs of each grid and everyone it serves.
We know electricity prices are top of mind for Finns. That’s why, informed by expert modeling, we are bringing a targeted portfolio of additional carbon-free energy supply to the Finnish grid, so that our new energy demand does not contribute to higher power prices for Finnish households. Today, we announced new partnerships across multiple clean energy technologies.
1. Nuclear Power: We executed a life extension PPA for the Loviisa nuclear power plant, with leading Nordic energy provider Fortum. In Finland, nuclear power is a key clean energy source that operates 24/7 to keep the lights on and stabilize electricity prices even on the coldest days of the year. The Loviisa plant, which currently employs approximately 580 people, would not have been able to continue operations beyond 2030 without Fortum’s life extension investment program. By extending the life of this plant, 10% of Finland’s electricity supply will remain online, avoiding potential price increases for all grid users.
This agreement brings long-term revenue certainty needed to support capital investments
that enable the entire plant to operate through 2050, and also increase the plant’s capacity through upgrades and modernization. Keeping this clean energy asset online will help to safeguard access to reliable, affordable electricity for Finland’s households, businesses, and industrial users alike. We’ll also work with Fortum to identify potential opportunities to develop new nuclear reactors at Loviisa.
2. Renewable Energy: We are supporting two onshore wind projects developed by Valorem and Suomen Hyötytuuli, bringing the total amount of new-to-the-grid onshore wind energy we’ve contracted in Finland to 629 MW.
3. Flexible Solutions: We are enabling a 94 MW battery system, to be located near Google’s site in Kajaani. This system, expected to be operational in late 2027, will help balance the grid and reduce price volatility, for instance when the wind isn’t blowing. In addition, we are working with partners to enable our onshore wind portfolio to contribute to balancing the Finnish grid by enrolling in Fingrid’s ancillary services markets. We’ll also partner with grid operators to explore the feasibility of using demand response to temporarily reduce data center power demand during times of grid stress, building on the capabilities we piloted at our Hamina data center during the energy crisis in 2022-2023.
Investing in households and communities
We’re committed to supporting long-term resilience and economic wellbeing in the communities we call home. That’s why we are working with the Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala municipalities to commit funds to programs that safeguard energy affordability and improve the livelihoods in our communities via Google’s Energy Impact Program. We are partnering to support a range of local initiatives, such as solar panel installations on municipal-owned apartments, batteries and heat pump installations at schools and sport centres, and new energy lighting projects.
Looking ahead
We are deeply grateful for the partnership with Finland’s communities since we first established our Hamina campus in 2011. As we grow our AI and digital infrastructure, we’ll continue to partner with local energy providers to scale nuclear, renewables and flexibility. And we’ll work to accelerate new energy technologies for the grid, both to unlock progress toward our 24/7 carbon-free energy moonshot and to secure a clean, affordable Finnish electricity future for generations to come.
