Donald Trump urged Google to rethink its reported Finnish infrastructure investment on September 14, arguing that difficult permitting in the United States was pushing the company to build abroad. Google’s planned Finnish expansion covers at least €13 billion in data centers, energy infrastructure and community programs during 2027–2028.
What changed after Google’s announcement
Trump’s criticism added a political dispute to a project that combines computing capacity with long-term energy procurement. He attributed Google’s Finnish decision to U.S. permitting conditions and asked the company to change course.
Google reportedly announced the Finnish investment on September 9. The construction and expansion work is planned for 2027–2028, with the project intended to support infrastructure for Gemini, Search, Maps and YouTube.
What the Finnish project includes
Google’s Finnish presence began at Hamina, where it acquired a former paper mill in 2009 and opened its first Finnish data center in 2011. The planned expansion adds data centers in Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala and expands the Hamina site.
| Project element | Location or scope | Amount, capacity or duration | Timing or condition |
| New data centers | Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala | Three facilities | Planned construction during 2027–2028 |
| Existing-site expansion | Hamina | Expansion of Google’s data-center site | Planned as part of the 2027–2028 buildout |
| Power-purchase agreement | Electricity linked to the Loviisa nuclear power plant | 22 years | Google’s contracted share is expected to reach up to 50% of Loviisa’s total capacity during 2030–2049 |
| Battery system | Near Kajaani | 94 MW | Expected to become operational in late 2027 |
| Onshore wind | Google-supported Finnish projects | 629 MW of new capacity | Part of the planned energy package |
| Community program | Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala | €31 million over four years | Intended for local partnerships |
The infrastructure is designed to support Google’s services while adding local energy and connectivity projects. The reported package also includes work with Elisa on connectivity and Nokia on optical and IP network infrastructure.
The energy deal is not a nuclear-plant acquisition
Google is not buying the Loviisa nuclear power plant. The arrangement with Fortum is a 22-year power-purchase agreement, meaning a long-term contract for electricity linked to the facility.
The agreement is scheduled to begin with a smaller capacity in 2028. Google’s contracted share is expected to reach up to 50% of Loviisa’s total capacity during 2030–2049. That maximum share applies to that period rather than to the entire contract.
The strategic partnership is intended to support Loviisa’s operation until the end of its operating licenses in 2050. Google’s role is tied to electricity procurement through the agreement with Fortum.
Battery storage and new wind capacity
The energy package goes beyond nuclear power. Google plans to support 629 MW of new onshore-wind capacity in Finland and a 94 MW battery system near Kajaani.
The battery figure describes power capacity in megawatts. It does not give the system’s storage duration, which would require an energy-capacity figure in megawatt-hours. The battery is expected to become operational in late 2027.
Google has also announced €31 million in community partnerships over four years for Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala. Its AI-skills program is intended to reach more than 4,400 workers, while up to 100 Finnish students are expected to take part in one year of local data-center training.
The economic projections
Google projects that the initial construction phase will support more than 37,000 jobs, including approximately 16,000 construction jobs, and contribute an average of €3.6 billion per year to Finland’s GDP during 2027–2028.
Google separately projects about 7,000 annually supported jobs once the facilities operate. That figure includes on-site work, supplier employment and jobs supported by local spending, rather than only direct Google employees.
These figures are projections for the planned buildout. The construction estimate covers the initial development phase, while the 7,000-job estimate concerns the operating facilities.
What happens next
Construction of the new data centers and the Hamina expansion is planned for 2027–2028. The Kajaani-area battery is expected to become operational in late 2027, and the Fortum agreement is scheduled to begin with smaller capacity in 2028.
During 2030–2049, Google’s contracted share is expected to reach up to 50% of Loviisa’s total capacity. The strategic partnership is intended to support the plant’s operation until 2050.
