Finland, known as the "Texas of Europe", received a shutdown order for two Google data centers. Google received a shutdown order to suspend the construction of two data center projects developed in Finland; just a month ago, the technology giant had just committed to carry out large investments in the country.

Finland, known as "Europe's Texas", received a shutdown order for two Google data centers. Google received a shutdown order to suspend the construction of two data center projects developed in Finland; just a month ago, the technology giant had just committed to large investments in the country. The Finnish Licensing and Regulation Authority (LVV) issued a notice to Google subsidiary Tuike Finland Oy on Tuesday, requiring it to suspend construction work at its data center projects in Muhos and Kajaani until an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is completed. According to an announcement issued by the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority, the stop-work order covers a variety of operations: tree felling, topsoil stripping, excavation operations, quarrying, material crushing, earth transfer, trenching, as well as the construction of roads and storage areas. A Google spokesperson said: "We understand the concerns and this time we have not met the high standards we have set. We will follow the guidance of the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority." The spokesperson added: "We are working in good faith and in accordance with the Forest Act, completing natural environment surveys and introducing relevant measures to protect high-value ecological areas. As we carry out long-term projects in the area, we are advancing landscape and biodiversity protection plans, which include planting 130 hectares of trees on the Muhos project site." The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority has given Google until October 23 at the latest to implement the suspension. The stop-work order does not apply to planning surveys, surveying, soil investigations, and other operations with minor impacts that can be easily restored to their original state. Tomi Muilu, head of the environmental department of the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority, said in a statement: "We believe that the above-mentioned construction activities will change the environment and bring various impacts. Identifying and assessing these impacts is the core goal of the environmental impact assessment process." "Texas of Europe" During the AI ​​construction boom, Finland has become a popular place for data center investment. Land and power resources are in short supply in most parts of Europe, and major hyperscale cloud vendors and development companies are optimistic about Finland's abundant land and power supply. Finland has recently announced multiple data center projects, with the potential installed capacity of a single project reaching hundreds of megawatts. The strong demand for computing power has earned Finland the title of "Texas of Europe". Texas, USA, is the core gathering place of global AI data centers. Google, Meta, Microsoft, Anthropic and other companies have launched large-scale projects here. Google plans to invest $15 billion in Finland, its largest investment in Europe. Google said the funds will be invested before 2028 for related investments such as data center construction and energy support. via cnBeta.COM - Chinese industry information station (author: Source: Global Market Report)