Finland orders halt to work on two Google data centres
The order affecting two planned data centres follows concerns over forest clearance.
Finland orders halt to work on two Google data centres
Finnish authorities have ordered construction to stop at two planned Google data centres amid concerns over the clearing of more than 300 hectares of forest.
The sites are part of Google's record €13bn (£11bn; $15bn) investment in Finland, announced less than a month ago and described by the company as its largest single investment in Europe.
The Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) said work at one site had been carried out without a required environmental impact assessment and ordered that measures which would "significantly alter the environment" be suspended by 23 October.
Google said it had "fallen short of our own high standards in this instance" and would follow the agency's guidance.
The orders concern preparatory work at the planned data centre sites in Muhos and Kajaani.
According to LVV's head of environment Tommi Muilu, the work included removing trees and topsoil, building site roads and storage areas, and altering ditches.
Tuike Finland, the company behind Google's data centre projects, has been asked to explain and outline how it plans to proceed by 14 October. The agency said it could start "enforcement proceedings" if the company did not comply with its request.
Hanna Halmeenpaa, chair of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, had earlier told the AFP news agency that "nature sites which should be preserved" had been felled. The conservation group had previously urged that work be stopped while environmental requirements were reviewed.
In a statement to the BBC, Google said: "We understand the concerns and have fallen short of our own high standards in this instance."
It said it had "acted in good faith under the Forestry Act", carried out nature surveys and introduced measures to protect areas of high environmental value.
"As we continue our long-term work in the region, we are advancing our landscaping and biodiversity plans, which include tree planting across 130 hectares at Muhos," the company added.
Google announced last month that it would invest at least €13bn (£11bn; $15bn) in Finland over 2027 and 2028. Its plans included new data centres in Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala, as well as investment in its existing facility in Hamina.
The company said the infrastructure would help it meet rising demand for services including Search, Maps and its AI assistant Gemini.
Google said the construction phase in 2027 and 2028 would support more than 37,000 jobs and add an average of €3.6bn a year to Finland's economy.
As part of its expansion, Google also signed a 22-year power purchasing agreement with Finnish energy company Fortum covering up to half the capacity of the Loviisa nuclear power plant. Fortum said the deal would help support the plant's continued operation until 2050.
Finland has drawn increasing interest in data centres, with its cool climate and low-carbon electricity among the factors making it appealing to developers. Lower temperatures can also cut the energy needed to cool facilities filled with computer servers.