Finnish regulator orders halt to early works at planned Google data center sites

Finland’s Licensing and Supervision Agency (LVV) has instructed Tuike Finland Oy, a Google subsidiary, to suspend construction work at Google’s planned data center projects in Muhos and Kajaani pending completion of environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures.

The order covers early construction and site-enablement activity, including tree clearing, topsoil removal, earthworks, extraction and crushing of materials, soil movement, drainage works, road construction and storage areas. It does not apply to planning, measurements, soil surveys and other readily reversible activities with limited impact.

LVV’s order must be implemented no later than October 23, 2026. Google told CNBC that it will follow the regulator’s instructions. The company said it had not met its own high standards in this instance, while maintaining that it had acted in good faith under the Forestry Act and had undertaken environmental surveys.

The restriction is likely to delay the sites’ progression from preparatory activity to active construction until the EIAs are completed. It underlines that favourable land and power conditions do not remove environmental regulatory constraints for data center development, particularly where large campuses require extensive site preparation and associated infrastructure works.

Google has announced a plan to invest $15 billion in AI infrastructure in Finland. That figure represents a commitment or plan, rather than confirmed expenditure, and the available information does not specify what portion, if any, relates to the Muhos and Kajaani projects.

For developers and hyperscalers, the case highlights the importance of completing environmental assessments early, managing biodiversity impacts and carrying permitting contingencies in project schedules. The available information does not establish the projects’ capacity, CAPEX, delivery timetable or expected commissioning dates.