Google invests $15bn in Finland and secures 500 MW power from Soviet-era nuclear power plant till 2050
A nuclear power plant built to Soviet design is to provide power to a new Google investment in AI infrastructure in Loviisa, Finland.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is making a record $15 billion investment in Finland, primarily to build new data centers. The plan also includes an expansion of an existing site. The primary source of power for these data centers will be the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant, a Soviet-era facility providing up to 50% of its output to Google's AI infrastructure.
This investment is Google's largest on European soil to date, with up to 37,000 jobs expected to be created during the project, which is anticipated to commence in 2027.
The project aims to support Google's AI chatbot Gemini, as well as Google Maps, Search, and YouTube. The investment will also contribute to Finland's GDP, boosting it by an estimated €3.6 billion annually. Finland's Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, praised the decision, stating that it highlights Finland's leadership in responsibly building AI infrastructure.
Google's investment demonstrates their commitment to grow their presence in Finland responsibly, pairing the expansion of their technical infrastructure with new energy capacity, grid enhancements, and energy affordability initiatives. The use of a 45-year-old nuclear plant to meet clean energy demands highlights the potential for existing energy infrastructure to contribute to the growing demands of cloud and AI data centers.
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