Google takes the nuclear option for €13B Finland expansion

Google plans to invest at least 13 billion ($15 billion) in digital infrastructure and supporting projects in Finland over the next two years. The cloud and search services giant says it is deepening its long-term commitment to Finland and to Europe through additional datacenters and investments in low-carbon electricity generation, onshore wind, and battery storage. Google already has a massive campus at Hamina, on Finland's south coast, which houses seven separate data halls. This is just along the coast from Loviisa, where one of Finland's two operating nuclear power plants is sited. The firm says it intends to expand its facilities at Hamina, but is also constructing new datacenters at sites near Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala, further north in the country. However, it declined to specify how many facilities it is building, or how much extra infrastructure capacity the projects will add to Google's global network. Google said it chose the sites after consulting Business Finland and grid operator Fingrid, focusing on locations in northern and central Finland with existing grid infrastructure and access to carbon-free electricity. Local energy partnerships also form part of the Chocolate Factory's plans. It has signed a 22-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Fortum to support the extension and upgrade of the energy company's Loviisa nuclear plant. Fortum said the plant could not continue operating beyond 2030 without this investment. The Google agreement provides revenue certainty for that work, which is intended to keep the plant - currently responsible for about 10 percent of Finland's electricity - operating through 2050. According to Reuters, the agreement will give Google access to as much as 50 percent of the plant's generating capacity. Fortum said the deal will begin at a lower level in 2028 before reaching 50 percent from 2030 through 2049, which Google confirmed to The Register. The cloud and search firm says it has secured additional onshore wind PPAs with green energy firms Valorem and Suomen Hyotytuuli, bringing the new-to-the-grid onshore wind capacity it has contracted in Finland to 629 MW. Google has also contracted for a 94 MW battery system near its Kajaani site, which is expected to connect to the grid in late 2027. The system is intended to balance supply and reduce price volatility during cold, windless periods. "This investment underscores Google's commitment to grow our presence responsibly, pairing the expansion of our technical infrastructure with new energy capacity, grid enhancements, and energy affordability initiatives," commented Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google. Google did not answer when The Register asked why it had chosen Finland for this expansion. Obvious attractions include its extensive carbon-free electricity supply - almost 96 percent of the country's generation is described as carbon-neutral - as well as established grid infrastructure near the selected sites. (R)