Google backs 13 billion euro Finland data center buildout with nuclear and wind deals
Google's largest-ever European investment comes with a nuclear life-extension deal, new wind contracts, and a battery project to power its Finland data centers.
Google announced a €13 billion digital infrastructure investment in Finland — its largest single investment in Europe to date — backed by a cluster of clean energy deals meant to power the new data centers.
The centerpiece is a 22-year power purchase agreement with Fortum to extend the life of the Loviisa nuclear plant, Google's first-ever nuclear life-extension deal. Google is also expanding an onshore wind contract with developer Valorem to 629 megawatts of capacity and backing a 94-megawatt battery storage system near Kajaani, expected online in late 2027.
The buildout illustrates the tension running through Google's climate strategy: the company cut its direct and purchased-electricity emissions by 2% in 2025 even as electricity demand tied to AI infrastructure jumped 37%, while emissions from its wider supply chain rose. Google has acknowledged its "24/7 carbon-free energy" goal is getting harder to hit as data center expansion outpaces grid decarbonization.
Beyond the energy contracts, Google is working with Finnish grid operator Fingrid and Business Finland on siting infrastructure to ease grid strain, and has committed to ecologically restoring former forestry land next to its data center sites. "This investment underscores Google's commitment to grow our presence responsibly," Alphabet president Ruth Porat said.
Reporting by Mark Segal, ESG Today: https://www.esgtoday.com/google-signs-nuclear-renewables-deals-to-power-new-e13-billion-digital-infrastructure-investment-in-finland/
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
