Roadmap for Finnish data centres 

The following areas are emphasised in a high-value data centre project: 

1. They produce economic added value in the form of investments, employment, participation in innovation ecosystems and tax revenue. Similarly, they comply with both EU and Finnish regulation on data centres.  

2. They register with a Finnish authority to be designated separately. 

3. They actively participate in organising electricity production and developing the functioning of the electricity network, in order to create significant flexibility for the periods of the most expensive electricity prices. 

The majority of data storage now takes place in data centres. The location of data centres is important. Because of service performance, data privacy and information security, many consider it important that the data centre is physically close to its users, in this case in Finland for Finnish users. In addition, due to security of supply and operational reliability, the location of data centres in Finland is necessary for an increasing number of Finnish users. 

In addition to their main purpose, data centres bring benefits to Finland in the form of investments, jobs and increasing tax revenue. Data centres aim to procure their electricity from fossil-free energy producers through long-term contracts for their entire capacity. This will speed up investments in renewable electricity production and thus help Finland move towards more sustainable electricity production. In addition, waste heat produced by data centres can be utilised in heating individual buildings, as an inexpensive source for district heating or for production purposes. 

The largest data centres use vast amounts of electricity and require large land areas for their facilities and supporting infrastructure. In 2024, Finnish data centres consumed approximately 1.6 TWh of electricity, which was just under 2% of Finland’s total consumption. According to estimates, the electricity consumption of data centres will increase to 5–6 TWh by 2030, which would be approximately 3–4% of total consumption. 

In terms of the availability of electricity and the functioning of the electricity system, the comprehensive participation of data centres in ensuring the functioning of the electricity system is important, and national measures have been proposed for this purpose. 

Finland is not the only country seeking more high-quality data centre investments. Competition for these investments is fierce. Finland’s competitive advantages include the availability of renewable energy, low electricity prices, cool climate and advanced infrastructure. To maintain competitiveness, the electricity system and its price competitiveness must be continuously improved. It is particularly important that Finnish regulation is predictable and long-term. 

The Finnish government emphasises that large investments must be advanced responsibly, taking overall impacts into account. The impacts on the electricity market, the environment, safety and security of supply related to data centres and other energy-intensive industries are assessed as part of national steering and permit systems. The focus is not on growth as such, but on investments that support Finland’s long-term interests and sustainable development.  

Finland aims to ensure that the clean and competitive electricity we produce supports economic growth, investments and new types of industrial activities – also outside the actual growth centres. In this context, data centres and other energy-intensive investments are seen as a strategic opportunity.