google A month after the tech giant pledged to invest $15 billion in the country’s AI infrastructure, the company has been ordered to halt work on two data centers it is developing in Finland.
The Finnish Licensing and Supervisory Authority (LVV) on Tuesday issued a notice to Google subsidiary Tuike Finland Oy to halt construction work on its planned data center projects in Muhoz and Kajaani until an environmental impact assessment is completed.
According to a Google translation of LVV’s press release, the suspension request applies, among other things, to felling trees, removing topsoil, excavating, quarrying, crushing, transferring earth blocks, digging trenches, and constructing roads and storage areas.
“While we understand the concerns, we have not met our own high standards in this case,” a Google spokesperson told CNBC, adding that the company will follow LVV’s guidance.
“We acted in good faith under the Forestry Act, conducted nature surveys and took steps to protect high-value areas,” the spokesperson said. “As we continue our long-term work in the area, we are developing a landscaping and biodiversity plan that includes tree planting across 130 hectares in Mujos.”
LVV ordered Google to cease work by October 23rd at the latest. This requirement does not apply to planning, measurement, soil testing, or other low-impact measures that can be easily restored.
“We believe that the measures in question change the environment and cause impacts, and their identification and assessment is one of the important objectives of the EIA procedure,” Tomi Muiru, head of the environment department at Finland’s Licensing and Supervisory Authority, said in a statement.
Finland has emerged as a key data center hub amid the AI boom, with hyperscalers and developers eyeing land and power that are in short supply in much of Europe.
Recently, several data center projects with hundreds of megawatts of potential capacity were announced in the country.
Due to increased demand, Finland has become known as the “Texas of Europe”. The US state has become one of the leading hubs for AI data centers globally, with numerous mega-projects announced by hyperscalers and AI labs such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Anthropic.
Google’s $15 billion plan for Finland will be its biggest investment in Europe. The company said in a statement at the time that the funds would be used to support investments such as data centers and energy projects through 2028.
