Google Finland Data Center Investment Reaches €13 Billion With Nuclear PPA

Google announced a €13 billion Finland data center investment for 2027 and 2028, pairing three new northern data center locations with a 22-year power purchase agreement that supports continued operation of Fortum’s Loviisa nuclear plant.

The September 9 Google announcement covers data centers and supporting infrastructure in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala. Google said the package also includes grid planning, wind-power contracts, a 94 MW battery system and community energy programs.

The nuclear agreement is not a contract for a new reactor. It is intended to provide predictable revenue for investments needed to extend the operating life of Fortum’s existing Loviisa plant through 2050. The purchase agreement begins at reduced capacity in 2028 and covers as much as 50% of the plant’s capacity from 2030 through 2049, according to World Nuclear News.

What the Google Finland data center investment includes

Google described the commitment as its largest single investment in Europe. The company already operates a data center in Hamina and plans additional infrastructure in Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala, where it says existing grid capacity and proximity to low-carbon generation can reduce the need for new network investment.

The announcement does not disclose the new facilities’ electrical demand, computing capacity or construction schedule by site. The €13 billion figure also covers supporting infrastructure and partnerships, so it should not be interpreted as the cost of three data center buildings alone.

Google estimates the two-year construction program will contribute an average of €3.6 billion annually to Finland’s gross domestic product and support more than 37,000 jobs nationwide during construction. Those figures are company projections rather than measured outcomes.

The Loviisa PPA supports an existing nuclear asset

Loviisa’s two reactors currently provide about 10% of Finland’s electricity. Google said the long-term PPA gives Fortum revenue certainty for the plant’s life-extension program, without which Loviisa could not continue operating beyond 2030.

Fortum has an approximately €1 billion investment program under way at the plant. Independent reporting says about €700 million of remaining life-extension projects still lacked final investment decisions before the agreement, while planned upgrades could add 10 MW beyond a separate 38 MW increase already in progress.

The structure resembles Google’s 25-year agreement supporting the proposed Duane Arnold nuclear restart in Iowa, but the project stage is different. Loviisa is operating today; Duane Arnold remains a proposed restart requiring regulatory approvals.

Wind and battery capacity are also part of the package

Google said new onshore wind PPAs with Valorem and Suomen Hyötytuuli bring the new-to-grid wind capacity it supports in Finland to 629 MW. The company also contracted for a 94 MW battery near its planned Kajaani site, with operation expected in late 2027.

The public announcement gives the battery’s power rating but not its energy capacity in megawatt-hours. Its discharge duration therefore cannot be calculated from the available information. Google said the system will provide grid flexibility, and Fortum will optimize its operation.

The mix of firm nuclear generation, wind procurement, storage and grid-location planning is broader than the Google-backed Mammoth Solar and storage project announced in West Virginia last week. Mammoth is a specific 86 MW solar and 380 MWh storage development; the Finland package is a national infrastructure and power-procurement program involving existing and new resources.

Power planning is moving inside data center strategy

Google and Fortum also signed an agreement to explore new nuclear, renewable generation and flexible capacity. The companies have not committed to build a new reactor, and any future project would require commercial agreements, permits, financing and construction decisions.

That distinction matters as large computing projects increasingly combine site selection with generation and grid planning. Microgrid Media’s explainer on data center power and microgrids examines why electricity availability, interconnection timing and resilience now shape where AI infrastructure can be built.

The next measurable milestones for the Google Finland data center investment are site-specific construction decisions, the 2027 commissioning target for the Kajaani battery and implementation of the Loviisa PPA beginning in 2028. Until then, the €13 billion program should be described as an announced investment plan, not completed infrastructure or operating load.