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Off the Wire Press Releases Investment builds on 15+ year presence to deliver new jobs, energy solutions, community impact, and economic growth Sept. 9, 2026 — Google today announced plans to invest at least €13 billion in digital infrastructure in Finland over the next two years (2027 – 2028), deepening its long-term commitment to the country and to Europe. This includes data center and other supporting infrastructure investments and partnerships in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala. In addition, Google is supporting clean energy projects, and dedicated nature and community funds to support local biodiversity, education, research, and workforce development. This is Google’s largest single investment in Europe and a testament to Finland’s leadership in responsibly building AI infrastructure — demonstrating what is possible through strong partnerships to create long-term community value and world-class environmental sustainability. Finland as a Model for Responsible Data Center Development Today’s announcement builds on Google’s more than 15-year presence in Finland. Since buying a former paper mill in 2009 and converting it into a modern data center in Hamina, Google has supported more than 40 social and community organizations while pioneering environmental initiatives such as a seawater-based cooling system and offsite heat recovery distribution to local homes and businesses designed to cover 80% of the annual heat needs for the Hamina district heating network. From 2023 to 2025 alone, Google’s presence in Hamina supported an ecosystem of more than 600 Finnish suppliers across construction, operations, and network infrastructure — including DNA, Elisa, and Nokia — that has created a multiplier effect for the economy. The Hamina data center currently supports a variety of jobs, from computer technicians, to electrical and mechanical engineers, to security staff, to catering, to facilities management, and more. Google’s investments have fueled job creation and economic growth across many adjacent local industries, such as wholesale and retail, professional and administrative services, and manufacturing. Enabling Economic Opportunity and Research and Development in Finland Google’s €13 billion infrastructure investment provides timely momentum to support Finland’s economic growth and digital transition. During the initial construction phase (2027–2028), this initiative is expected to contribute an annual average of €3.6 billion to Finland’s GDP and support more than 37,000 jobs nationwide. Approximately 16,000 of these jobs are estimated to be in construction, generating €911 million in average annual labor income across the sector. Once operational, the facilities are projected to support 7,000 jobs annually, generating labor income with average wages 24% above Finland’s median wage. This includes on-site facility and technical roles, upstream suppliers of equipment and services, and the local shops, restaurants and amenities supported by these workers and their families. Similar to Google’s Hamina data center for the past 15+ years, the new digital infrastructure will serve as building blocks for Finnish and broader European digital readiness, innovation, and AI development, and will power Google’s popular services — such as Gemini, Search, Maps, and YouTube — that directly support European people and businesses every day. Google’s site in Hamina is part of the company’s global network of 43 cloud regions. This local region enables Finnish organizations like Nokia, Elisa, and the City of Hamina to deliver high-performance, low-latency services and to build and scale their own AI-powered solutions. Investing in Clean Energy, Grid Resilience, and Affordability As Google grows its infrastructure in Finland, it continues to actively invest in additional clean energy, grid resilience, and community energy programmes so that everyone can access reliable, affordable electricity. Today, Google announced a number of local energy partnerships and investments to strengthen the Finnish grid and create a new blueprint for growing responsibly. These initiatives align with Google’s commitments to keep energy prices affordable for consumers and support long-term grid resilience and decarbonization across Finland: - Partnership with Fingrid and Business Finland to identify locations for Google’s infrastructure and grid friendly connection. By building new data centers in Finland’s northern rather than southern region, Google utilizes existing grid infrastructure near carbon-free energy sources. This approach reduces new grid investments and helps lower overall system costs, across Finland, and the Nordics. - A 22-year life extension power purchase agreement (PPA) with Finnish energy company, Fortum, to provide the long-term revenue certainty needed to support life extension program for the Loviisa nuclear power plant, located near Google’s Hamina data center. Without the lifetime extension investment program, the plant – which currently employs approximately 580 people and provides 10% of Finland’s electricity – could not continue operations beyond 2030. Keeping this clean energy asset online for decades to come will help stabilize electricity prices and support long-term resilience of Finland’s grid. - A memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Fortum to explore and advance cooperation on new flexibility capacity and new power generation capacity. The MoU will focus on enabling the timely delivery of additional new carbon-free, reliable electricity to support Google’s investments in Finland. Google and Fortum will work to identify new business models to improve the commercial viability of potential new nuclear reactors at the Loviisa site. - Additional onshore wind PPAs with Valorem, located in the Ostrobothnia region, and Suomen Hyötytuuli, located in the Ostrobothnia and Central Finland region, bringing the total new-to-the-grid onshore wind capacity supported by Google to 629 MW. Google is also working with its partners to enable the participation of its onshore wind portfolio to Fingrid’s ancillary markets, contributing to balancing the Finnish grid. - A new contracted 94 MW battery system is set to be connected to Finland’s grid, located near Google’s site in Kajaani, which is expected to be operational in late 2027. This system will provide valuable flexibility, helping balance the grid and stabilize electricity prices during even cold, windless periods. Integrating Resource Stewardship and Community Development into Data Center Development Google’s community-first model actively supports Finland’s national action plan to protect biodiversity and promote the restoration of degraded ecosystems. Building on its long-term presence, Google will invest in a series of initiatives to ecologically restore former forestry lands adjacent to the data center sites in Hamina, Kajaani,Muhos, and Vaala. Nature restoration efforts will focus on promoting the regeneration of native forests, including peatland, wetland and nature conservation, as well as safeguarding vital ecological corridors for local wildlife. Alongside nature, these projects invest in social infrastructure for the community, providing year-round accessible recreational trails, public saunas, and piers for fishing and swimming. Delivered through community-led initiatives, the work will champion the local economy while exclusively using native species to help the region thrive. Any profits from selective tree harvesting works will be donated to local initiatives. New community, energy and workforce programs include: - Economic Community Partnerships: Google is investing €31 million to be allocated over a four year period in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala. The funding will support local community initiatives focused on education and economic growth, with €10 million specifically earmarked for research & innovation. - Energy: Google will be supporting high-impact municipal energy projects in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala providing low-income households with solar and heat-pump installations, conducting energy efficiency renovations in public municipal buildings, upgrading recreational skiing and running trail lighting to expand winter usage, and expanding backup power solutions to secure local emergency, health, and water services. Google also embeds heat recovery readiness into the design of all its new data centers in Europe. - Workforce: Funding will also support AI education programs delivered in partnership with local vocational colleges and labor organizations to help Finland upskill its workforce. Through Google.org’s AI Opportunity Fund, more than 4,400 workers will be equipped with essential AI skills with a goal of creating new opportunities for vulnerable workforces across the country. This program is led by local partners including Oamk, Tieke and Xamk. Together with EKAMI, Google will launch a workforce development program to train up to 100 local Finnish students over one year for new data center careers. Google will also empower students nationwide with a full year of premium digital study tools, interactive notebooks, and advanced smart assistants like Gemini Live. About Google Cloud Google Cloud offers a powerful, optimized AI stack—including AI infrastructure, leading models like Gemini, data management capabilities, multicloud security solutions, developer tools and platform, as well as agents and applications—that enables organizations to transform their business for the Agentic Era. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner. Source: Google Cloud
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