Finnish authorities have ordered an immediate halt to preparatory work at two planned Google data centre sites in Muhos and Kajaani after finding that more than 300 hectares of forest had been cleared without a mandatory environmental impact assessment. The Supervisory Agency for Valuation and Environmental Protection (LVV) said activities including tree and topsoil removal, construction of site roads, storage areas and ditch alterations must be suspended by 23 October; Tuike Finland, the company handling the projects, must explain its actions by 14 October or face possible enforcement. The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation reported that ecologically valuable sites were felled. Google acknowledged it “fell short” of its standards, said it had operated under the Forestry Act, carried out nature surveys and put protection measures in place, and pledged to follow LVV guidance while advancing landscaping and biodiversity plans, including planting trees across 130 hectares at Muhos.
The projects form part of Google’s record €13bn investment in Finland announced last month - described as its largest single investment in Europe - covering new centres in Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala and further investment in Hamina. Google says the infrastructure will serve growing demand for Search, Maps and its AI assistant Gemini, with the construction phase in 2027-28 expected to support more than 37,000 jobs and contribute roughly €3.6bn annually. As part of the expansion, Google signed a 22-year power-purchase deal with Fortum covering up to half the Loviisa nuclear plant’s capacity, and Finland’s cool climate and low‑carbon electricity are cited as key attractions for data‑centre development.
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