admin Google is to invest €1 billion in the expansion of its Finnish data center. It aims to supercharge its artificial intelligence business in Europe. Google’s decision confirmed the Nordic region’s importance for data centers.
The Nordic countries offer a cooler climate and tax breaks. Besides, they are offering plenty of renewable power. These factors attract big tech companies to host data centers there.
But Sweden and Norway are not so glad about hosting these data centers. They said that renewable power should be channeled into green steel production. Green steel offers higher surplus value for the countries.
But Finland’s wind power capacity has surged high. In 2022, it rose 75% to 5,677 megawatts. Prices even plunged into negative on windy days. So, there’s still renewable capacity for data centers like Google’s.
Google is buying wind power in Finland on long-term contracts. This secures it a stable and sustainable power supply. Analysts said data centers would consume more power with the growth of artificial intelligence. Google cited AI as a key reason it invested in Finland.
Secondly, Google’s Hamina data center runs on 97% carbon-free energy. The center is set to re-route heat to Hamina’s district heating network. This shall cover local households, schools, and public buildings. Google is eying net-zero emissions across all operations by the year 2030.
Aside from the Finnish investment, Google said it was opening new data centers. The data centers will be in the Netherlands and Belgium. This expansion supports Google’s commitment to sustainable growth in Europe.
This Finnish data center is in line with Google’s green energy objective. The use of wind power by Google reduces its carbon footprint. This investment signals how Finland is an important country for Google’s AI growth strategy. The country’s renewable energy resources support Google’s data center operations.
Renewable capacity, especially in Finland, continues to grow, ensuring a stable supply to the growing Google data center. It is an investment that shall boost the local economy and create employment opportunities. The commitment to sustainability benefits the environment and the community in which Google is located.
Google is investing $1 billion in Finland, with the belief it will support AI growth, since the company is using renewable energy. Finland’s wind capacity is high and satisfies sustainable data center operations. New centers in the Netherlands and Belgium are among Google’s expansion efforts in Europe. It is a strategic move to point out the importance of renewable energy for the growth of tech.
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