€13 billion. Google calls it its single biggest investment in Europe
€13 billion. Google calls it its single biggest investment in Europe. This week, Finland's regulator told it to stop work on two of the sites.
On 7 October the Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) ordered Tuike Finland, the company representing Google, to suspend preparatory work at the Muhos and Kajaani data centre sites (tree felling, topsoil stripping, site roads, ditches) immediately and by 23 October at the latest, until the mandatory environmental impact assessments are complete. The agency is investigating whether hundreds of hectares of forest were cleared before any assessment. The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation puts the logged area at more than 300 hectares. Tuike has until 14 October to explain how it intends to proceed.
Google's spokesman: "We understand the concerns and have fallen short of our own high standards in this instance." He also said the company acted in good faith, carried out environmental surveys, and plans tree planting across 130 hectares at Muhos.
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation puts the logged area at more than 300 hectares.
I don't know Finnish law and won't pretend to. But every architect knows the order we are taught to work in: survey, assess, get the approval, then touch the site. A felled forest stays felled, and replanting is not the same as never cutting.
AI feels weightless on a screen. It isn't. Every model runs in a real building that needs land, power and permission, and €13 billion does not buy you out of the paperwork.
When a big project is in a hurry, should it ever get to build first and assess later? Tell me what you think in the comments 👇
Euronews (AFP): https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/07/finland-orders-pause-on-google-ai-data-centre-over-environmental-concerns
