Google to invest USD15bn in AI infrastructure, buy nuclear power in Finland

Business Recorder reported that Alphabet's Google plans to commit at least €13 billion (USD15.1 billion) to artificial intelligence facilities in Finland across the coming two years, its largest European outlay to date. According to the US company, the programme will feature three new data centres in the northern part of the nation, where winter cold can go far below minus 10 degrees Celsius.

The plan includes a 22-year purchase agreement covering up to 50% of the output from one of Finland's two nuclear plants, according to operator Fortum, which said the arrangement would support electricity supply. Speaking in Helsinki, Ruth Porat, Google's president and chief investment officer, described the approach as bringing its own power, and said it marked the company's initial nuclear power agreement located beyond the United States.

The Nordic climate and stable grids make the region attractive for energy-intensive data centres, where freezing air can serve as an efficient way to cool servers. Alphabet has raised its global investment to between USD195 billion and USD205 billion this year to capture rising AI computing demand, and Microsoft and ByteDance are also seeking data centre sites while limiting energy costs.