A Finnish authority on Tuesday ordered work on two of Google’s data centre sites in the country halted until mandatory environmental impact assessments have been completed.
The US tech giant announced in September a 13-billion-euro ($15-billion) investment in digital infrastructure Finland over the next two years to power its AI ambitions.
Google has called the data centre projects in the municipalities of Muhos, Vaala, Kajaani and Hamina its single biggest investment in Europe.
But the Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) said it had demanded that Tuike Finland, a company representing Google, “immediately suspend, and no later than 23 October 2026, all preparatory measures that would significantly alter the environment in connection with the planned data centre projects in Muhos and Kajaani”.
The agency has been investigating whether Tuike Finland cleared hundreds of hectares of forest in Muhos and Kajaani without a mandatory environmental impact assessment.
When AFP visited the Muhos site last week, the chair of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, Hanna Halmeenpaa, said “nature sites which should be preserved” had been logged in a deforested area of more than 300 hectares (741 acres).
Tuike Finland must provide an explanation and detail how it intends to proceed by October 14.
If it fails to comply with the demand, the agency said it may initiate “enforcement proceedings.”
According to the head of LVV’s environment department Tommi Muilu, trees have been removed, topsoil stripped, site roads and storage areas constructed and ditches altered.
Google spokesman Sondre Ronander acknowledged the company’s shortcomings.
“We understand the concerns and have fallen short of our own high standards in this instance,” he said in a statement sent to AFP.
“We will study the LVV’s findings and follow their guidance.”
He added the company had “acted in good faith” and implemented environmental surveys and measures.
“As we continue our long-term work in the region, we are advancing our landscaping and biodiversity plans, which include tree planting across 130 hectares at Muhos,” Ronander said.
Finland’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Sari Multala said Google’s projects will likely be delayed due to the problems with the environmental assessments.
Multala told newspaper Helsingin Sanomat on Tuesday that “this is a serious matter: all companies operating in Finland must comply with the law. In this case, that has not happened.”
