HELSINKI, Finland, Oct. 1 (World Daily Times) — Google plans to invest €13 billion in Finland in 2027 and 2028 to expand digital infrastructure and secure energy for services including Search, Maps and its Gemini AI tools. The company announced the plan on Sept. 9, 2026. It is a planned investment, not a completed expansion.
Why Finland?
President Alexander Stubb has pointed to Finland’s clean electricity, security and cold climate as reasons companies may choose to build data centers there. He said the country has about 50 data centers, with 25 more in the pipeline. Data centers house the computers and equipment that run online services; they also need reliable power and cooling.
What does Google’s energy plan cover?
A central piece is a 22-year agreement with Finnish utility Fortum. Fortum said the deal covers up to half the output of its Loviisa nuclear plant and gives it greater certainty to invest in upgrades and extend the plant’s operation through 2050, the end of its licenses.
Google also plans to support new onshore wind capacity and has contracted for a 94-megawatt battery system. Those measures are part of its plan to meet growing demand; the announcement does not mean all the new infrastructure or energy capacity is operating now.
What could the investment mean for Finland?
Google projects that construction in 2027 and 2028 will support more than 37,000 jobs nationwide and contribute €3.6 billion a year to Finland’s economy during that period. Those are company forecasts, not jobs or economic gains already recorded. Google also expects the facilities to support thousands of permanent jobs once operating.
The company says it will spend €31 million over four years on communities in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala. Its plans include AI training for more than 4,400 workers and training opportunities for 100 Finnish students.
What are the concerns?
Finland’s Security and Intelligence Service, known as SUPO, has warned that foreign-owned data centers can pose security risks, including possible attempts by authoritarian states to get around technology-export restrictions. That warning concerns the sector; it is not an allegation that Google has done so. Google’s announcement does not set out specific safeguards for its new facilities in response to that warning.
Electricity supply is another question. Centre Party leader Antti Kaikkonen has called for a national permitting system for new data centers, citing the need to assess power supply and transmission across projects. Social Democratic lawmaker Niina Malm has raised concerns about electricity costs and internal security. Google has described steps to secure energy, but the total power demand of its planned projects and their effect on electricity prices and the grid have not been established.
