The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Agency told Tuike Finland to stop environment-altering work at Muhos and Kajaani by 23 October pending impact assessments.
Finland's Licensing and Supervision Agency has ordered a halt to preparatory work at two planned Google data-centre sites until compulsory environmental impact assessments are completed, the BBC and Al Jazeera reported. The order covers Muhos and Kajaani and tells Tuike Finland, the company behind the projects, to suspend measures that would significantly alter the environment no later than 23 October 2026.
Tommi Muilu, head of the agency's environment department, said work already done included removing trees and topsoil, building site roads and storage areas, and changing ditches. The agency is examining whether hundreds of hectares were cleared without a mandatory assessment. Hanna Halmeenpaa of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation told AFP that sites which should have been preserved were logged across more than 300 hectares.
Google announced in September a 13 billion euro investment in Finnish digital infrastructure, which it called its largest single investment in Europe. A Google spokesperson told the BBC: "We understand the concerns and have fallen short of our own high standards in this instance." The company said it had acted in good faith under the Forestry Act, carried out nature surveys, and planned tree planting across 130 hectares at Muhos.
The suspension does not cover planning, measurements, soil surveys or other minor measures that can be restored, CNBC reported from the agency's notice. Tuike Finland must explain how it will proceed by 14 October. The agency said it could start enforcement proceedings if the company does not comply.
Opposition politicians have separately warned about power demand from data centres. The order is a regulatory pause, not a cancellation of the investment.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Google said it had fallen short of its own standards in this instance.
- Hanna Halmeenpaa said nature sites that should be preserved had been logged.
- The agency said it could open enforcement proceedings if Tuike Finland does not comply.