Google is making its largest single investment in Europe, committing at least €13 billion to AI and digital infrastructure in Finland over 2027 and 2028 — while also striking a landmark nuclear power agreement designed to help fuel its expanding computing footprint.
The September 9 announcement brings together two of the biggest forces shaping the technology industry: the rapid build-out of AI infrastructure and the enormous amount of reliable electricity needed to power it.
What happened?
Google says it will invest at least €13 billion in Finland over the next two years, covering data centres and supporting infrastructure in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala. The company says the infrastructure will support services including Gemini, Search, Maps and YouTube.
Alongside the infrastructure investment, Google and Finnish energy company Fortum have signed a 22-year power purchase agreement linked to the Loviisa nuclear power plant. Fortum says the agreement will begin with smaller capacity in 2028 and reach up to 50% of the plant’s capacity from 2030 through 2049.
The agreement gives Fortum long-term revenue certainty to support the programme required to extend Loviisa’s operating life through 2050. The plant currently supplies about 10% of Finland’s electricity.
Why Google’s Finland investment matters
The AI race is no longer only about who can build the smartest models or secure the most advanced chips. It is increasingly an infrastructure race involving data centres, electricity generation, transmission capacity, cooling and energy storage.
Google describes the €13 billion commitment as its largest single investment in Europe. The company expects the initial 2027–2028 construction phase to contribute an annual average of €3.6 billion to Finland’s GDP and support more than 37,000 jobs nationwide. Once operational, Google estimates the facilities will support around 7,000 jobs annually.
AI’s power problem is becoming a Big Tech priority
Generative AI requires substantial computing capacity, and that translates directly into demand for electricity. Long-term energy agreements can give technology companies more predictable access to power while giving energy providers greater certainty for major investments.
Google’s agreement with Fortum is particularly notable because it links the growth of AI infrastructure with extending the life of an existing nuclear plant. Reuters reported that it is Google’s first nuclear power contract outside the United States.
The companies are going further than the Loviisa agreement. Google and Fortum have also signed a memorandum of understanding to explore additional nuclear and renewable generation, flexibility solutions and potential business models for new nuclear reactors at Loviisa.
Wind and batteries are part of the plan too
Nuclear is only one component of Google’s Finnish energy strategy. Google says new onshore wind agreements bring the new-to-grid wind capacity it supports in Finland to 629 MW.
The company has also contracted a new 94 MW battery system near its Kajaani site. Expected to become operational in late 2027, the battery is intended to help balance Finland’s grid and stabilise electricity prices during periods when renewable generation is constrained.
What does this mean for readers?
For everyday users, the announcement helps explain what sits behind increasingly capable AI services. Products such as Gemini may feel like software delivered through a browser or smartphone, but running them at enormous scale requires physical infrastructure — servers, data centres, cooling systems, power grids and increasingly dedicated sources of low-carbon electricity.
That makes energy strategy an increasingly important part of the AI competition. The companies that can secure computing hardware, suitable data-centre locations and reliable electricity at scale may have an advantage as AI demand continues to grow.
The bigger picture
Google’s Finland announcement shows how dramatically the technology industry’s infrastructure requirements are changing. A €13 billion investment spanning data centres, grid improvements, nuclear power, wind generation and battery storage is not simply an expansion of cloud capacity — it is an attempt to build the physical foundation for the next generation of AI services.
For Europe, the investment is also significant. Finland’s relatively low-carbon electricity system, cool climate and existing digital infrastructure are helping turn the country into an increasingly important location for large-scale computing.
As AI adoption accelerates, expect the competition between technology companies to increasingly extend beyond models and processors into something much more fundamental: who can secure enough power to run them.
Sources: Google, Fortum and Reuters. Figures and agreement details are based on announcements published September 9, 2026.
