Finnish regulator halts work on two Google data centers until environmental impact assessments are done
Finland’s Licensing and Supervision Agency (LVV) ordered Google subsidiary Tuike Finland Oy to suspend construction at its Muhos and Kajaani data center projects until environmental impact assessments are completed, with work to stop by October 23; Google says it will comply.
CNBC reports that the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Agency (LVV) on Tuesday issued a notice to Google subsidiary Tuike Finland Oy to suspend building work at its planned Muhos and Kajaani data center projects until environmental impact assessments (EIA) are completed, stopping no later than October 23. The suspension covers tree removal, topsoil removal, excavation, quarrying, crushing, moving soil, ditching and building roads and storage areas; planning, measurements, soil surveys and other low-impact, easily restored work are not affected.
Tommi Muilu, head of the agency’s environmental department, said in a statement that the work will change the environment and cause impacts whose identification and assessment are among the key objectives of the EIA procedure. A Google spokesperson told CNBC the company understands the concerns, fell short of its own high standards in this instance and will follow the LVV’s guidance; the spokesperson said Google acted in good faith under the Forestry Act, ran nature surveys and protected high-value areas, and that its landscaping and biodiversity plans at Muhos include tree planting across 130 hectares.
The order comes a month after Google committed to invest $15 billion in AI infrastructure in Finland, which Google says is its largest investment in Europe, to be deployed through 2028 into data centers and supporting projects such as energy. Finland’s available land and power have made it a key data center location in the AI boom, earning it the nickname “Texas of Europe”, and several projects with potential capacities of hundreds of megawatts have recently been announced there.