Finland’s Licensing and Regulatory Authority (LVV) on Tuesday instructed Google subsidiary Tuike Finland Oy to suspend construction work at the Muhos and Kajaani data‑center sites until the environmental impact assessment procedures are completed. The measure aims to ensure the projects’ environmental effects are fully investigated and evaluated.
The suspension bans a set of specific activities: tree felling, removal of topsoil, earthworks, quarrying and crushing, road construction, and creation of storage areas. LVV set October 23 as the deadline for halting those works. Planning, measurement and soil‑testing activities are not affected and may continue.
A Google spokesperson told CNBC: “We understand the concerns and in this case fell short of the high standards we set for ourselves,” adding that the company is fully cooperating with the authority’s guidance. Google said it acted in good faith in accordance with forestry law, conducted required nature surveys, and plans to plant forest on 130 hectares at the Muhos site.
Tommi Muilu, head of the LVV environmental department, stressed that the types of works covered by the suspension would fundamentally alter the environment, and that uncovering and assessing those impacts is the primary purpose of the environmental impact assessment process.
The timing of LVV’s order is notable: roughly one month earlier Google announced a planned $15 billion investment in AI infrastructure in Finland, which the company says would be its largest European investment to date. The capital is intended to be deployed through 2028 into data centers and related energy projects.
Finland has become an increasingly important location for major cloud providers and technology developers, as many parts of Europe face shortages of available land and energy capacity. Several recent Finnish projects have been announced with capacities of up to several hundred megawatts, prompting comparisons that label Finland as “Europe’s Texas.”
Further developments in the LVV decision and the results of the ongoing environmental impact assessments will be decisive for the timetable and scope of Google’s and other companies’ data‑center investments in Finland.
