Abstract:
The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) is investigating the preliminary construction and logging practices of Google’s local data center project. On September 18, the agency requested explanations from the town of Muhos, the city of Kajaani and the project company Tuike Finland Oy, requesting an explanation of the project permit, land use planning and preparatory work that had been carried out. According to public information cited by regulators, about 300 hectares of forest have been cleared at the Mujos project site, an area equivalent to about 420 football fields.
The planned land area of Muhos Data Center is approximately 571 hectares, and it is planned to build 9 data center buildings and supporting facilities. Project information from the Finnish environmental authorities shows that the environmental impact assessment of the project is still in progress; the Kajaani-Otanmäki project is also still in the assessment stage, and eight data center buildings are planned to be constructed. LVV stated that some preliminary projects may have a significant impact on the environment, and it will determine whether further measures need to be taken based on the instructions received. It has not yet made any illegal conclusion, nor has it announced a suspension of construction.
The dispute also involves local planning and construction permits. LVV pointed out that the relevant zoning plans of Mujos and Kayani are subject to appeal, and there is a construction ban in the project area; in this case, activities such as felling trees and earthworks that change the landscape may require a landscape work permit, and the enforcement of relevant building laws is the responsibility of the local government. Hannah Halmenpe, president of the Finnish Nature Conservation Association, said that satellite images showed that some areas that should be protected have also been deforested, and requested that construction at the Muhos site be suspended; this is an accusation by the environmental organization and still needs to be verified by the regulatory authorities.
Google told the media that logging on Mujos and Kayani lands complied with the requirements of the Forest Law, and that it had conducted a natural survey of the entire area and protected areas with high ecological value during the planning and environmental assessment process. The company said it was awaiting further guidance from regulatory authorities. The parties disagree on whether the cleanup complied with all applicable regulations, and there is no final outcome of the investigation.
Project Muhos is part of Google's massive expansion plan in Finland. The company announced in September that it would invest 13 billion euros in Finland over the next two years for digital infrastructure, clean energy and local cooperation; this investment covers many regions in Finland, not all of which is invested in Muhos. The local environmental assessment is still comparing two cooling options, one drawing water from the Oulu River and using cooling towers, and the other using mainly air cooling supplemented by water cooling equipment. As data center construction advances, land, ecology, water and energy needs have become the focus of local discussions in Finland.
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