Finnish authority halts Google’s preparatory work at two planned AI infrastructure sites

Finland’s LVV authority has directed Google to suspend preparatory activity at its planned data-center sites in Muhos and Otanmäki/Kajaani, citing the absence of a completed environmental assessment before forest clearance.

Google said it stopped preparatory work at Muhos and Kajaani after receiving the authority’s letter on 6 October and will comply with LVV’s requirements. The source does not state when work may resume, whether LVV has reached a final decision, or when the planned facilities could enter service.

The two sites form part of Google’s €13 billion AI-infrastructure project in Finland. That figure applies to the total project, rather than being allocated between the Muhos and Otanmäki sites, and does not indicate expenditure already incurred.

According to the source, approximately 330 hectares of forest were cleared in Muhos, involving an estimated 250,000 trees. An environmental specialist estimated that a further 150,000 trees were felled at Otanmäki. Google plans to plant forest across 130 hectares at the Muhos site.

The case comes amid broader scrutiny of data-center development in Finland. The source states that 145 new data centers are at various planning stages nationally, while a petition calling for tighter data-center regulation and compensatory charges for local environmental impacts has attracted more than 93,000 signatures.

For the sector, the LVV order suggests that environmental assessment and community engagement can become schedule and cost risks even during early site preparation. With a substantial development pipeline, comparable projects may face increased scrutiny of permitting, land use and their local environmental footprint.