{"id":114101,"date":"2026-10-04T17:02:28","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T17:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/finnish-town-braces-for-change-from-google-data-centres-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T17:02:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T17:02:28","slug":"finnish-town-braces-for-change-from-google-data-centres-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/finnish-town-braces-for-change-from-google-data-centres-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Finnish town braces for change from Google data centres | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
Google plans a \u20ac13bn investment in Finland, including data centres, its biggest-ever European investment<\/p>\n
Google told AFP that its tree-felling activities were in compliance with Forestry Act requirements. PHOTO: AFP <\/p>\n
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In the northern Finnish town of Muhos, 36-year-old farmer Joni Pitkanen is preparing for life with a new neighbour — just kilometers away, tech giant Google is planning to build new data centres.<\/p>\n
The planned data centres are part of an announced 13-billion-euro ($15-billion) investment in Finland over the next two years — the US tech giant’s single biggest investment in Europe.<\/p>\n
A few kilometers down the gravel road that passes by Pitkanen’s farm, the forest has already been cut down on land acquired by Google, with excavators now clearing the ground and rumbling trucks shuttling back and forth to the construction area located next to major power lines.<\/p>\n
“The project is so massive that it’s basically hard to really grasp, even though we’re right here on the sidelines,” Pitkanen said, as a few cows dozed in a meadow in front of the barn.<\/p>\n
Google’s expansion plans include the Finnish municipalities of Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala as well as Hamina, where it already operates a data centre.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The massive investment prompted US President Donald Trump to urge Google to rethink its plans in a message on his Truth Social network.<\/p>\n
Pitkanen said he was so far “fairly positive” about the project, as it will bring “large-scale business activity” and “life” to the rural municipality with a population of only around 8,800 people.<\/p>\n
“But of course we are concerned about… how we can prepare for the energy consumption,” he added.<\/p>\n
In his office in the small village centre, Muhos mayor Kimmo Hinno told AFP that Google’s “massive investment” kept him busy these days as “no industry of this type” existed here at present.<\/p>\n
“This will completely change the situation for the entire municipality and the Oulu region,” he said, adding that he expected “thousands of workers” of different nationalities during the construction period — who will need both housing and other services.<\/p>\n