Google will invest at least €13 billion in Finland over the next two years to develop artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company has also signed its first nuclear energy supply agreement outside the United States, meaning the tech giant is directly connecting to a nuclear power source beyond American borders for the first time.
Under the deal, Google has signed a 22-year agreement with Finnish energy company Fortum to purchase up to 50% of the electricity produced by one of Finland's two nuclear power plants. Google's chief investment officer Ruth Porat stated in Helsinki that this is the company's first nuclear energy deal outside the United States.
Nuclear energy, which provides large amounts of low-carbon electricity, is one of Finland's key advantages. The country is trying to attract major tech companies' data centers, as their operations require large-scale and stable energy resources.
In addition to the agreement between Google and Fortum, the companies will also discuss opportunities for developing new nuclear and renewable energy projects in Finland.
Google's investments are planned for 2027 and 2028. They will include construction of data centers, improvement of power grids, as well as implementation of clean energy and battery projects. According to the company, the new infrastructure will contribute to the operation and development of services such as Gemini, Google Search, Maps, and YouTube.
Google has called the investment program its largest deal in the artificial intelligence infrastructure sector in Europe. According to the company's estimate, the investments will add approximately $3.6 billion to Finland's GDP during the construction phase. It is also expected that after the data centers become fully operational, they will provide around 7,000 jobs annually.
This deal demonstrates how tech giants are rethinking energy security amid growing artificial intelligence demand. For Google, this is not just an investment in Finland. The 22-year contract implies a stable and predictable energy source, without which the operation of AI data centers would be practically impossible.
Finland's position here is no coincidence. The country has long bet on low-carbon energy, and nuclear capacity allows it to attract exactly the kind of major investors that the European tech ecosystem needs. The $3.6 billion addition to GDP and 7,000 jobs are serious arguments, but the question remains: how long can those jobs last once data center construction is completed?
It is also worth following how the European energy market will react when a player like Google starts directly purchasing nuclear energy. This could become a new trend for other tech companies that are also seeking stable and clean energy sources. At the same time, it remains questionable how well Finland will be able to meet both domestic and external demand if such deals multiply.
