Google has called Finland its home for over 15 years, but its most recent move in data-center expansion in the country has brought some unwanted neighbors for nearby villages. Wolves have descended upon Finnish villages in Muhos and Otanmaki following Google’s illegal felling of hundreds of thousands of trees to prepare for a multibillion-euro data-center expansion—prompting a stop order from Finnish authorities.
“We had wolves coming into the village because all the wild animals moved out of the forest,” Anni Ranta, a resident of Otanmaki, told The Guardian. “They fled.”
Google’s Finnish subsidiary, Tuike Finland Oy, cleared an estimated 330 hectares—or 815 acres—of forest near Finnish town Muhos and almost 200 hectares—or about 494 acres—near Otanmaki, before completing required environmental assessments. The clearings involved an estimated 400,000 trees across the two locations according to The Guardian.
Finnish authorities ordered the tech giant to suspend all preparatory work at both sites while environmental assessments are completed. The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority ordered Google to halt preparatory activities at Muhos and the Otanmaki site near Kajaani. The authority said the work included removing trees and topsoil, constructing access roads and making other changes that could significantly alter the environment before the required assessments had been completed.
“In our opinion, the measures in question will change the environment and cause impacts, the identification and assessment of which are among the key objectives of the EIA procedure,” Tommi Muilu, Head of the Environmental Department at the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority, said in a press release.
Google posits it acted in “good faith” and did not intend to cause environmental harm outside of Finland’s statutes. The company also announced plans to plant trees across 130 hectares at Muhos. The planned replanting covers less than half the area cleared at Muhos alone.
“We understand the concerns and have fallen short of our own high standards in this instance,” a Google spokesperson told CNBC. ““We acted in good faith under the Forestry Act, and ran nature surveys and put in place measures to protect high-value areas. As we continue our long-term work in the region, we are advancing our landscaping and biodiversity plans, which include tree planting across 130 hectares at Muhos.”
The clearances are part of Google’s planned €13 billion (about $15.1 billion) investment in Finland, announced in September. The company intends to expand its data center infrastructure across the country as demand grows for cloud computing, digital services and AI workloads.
“Google is supporting clean energy projects, and dedicated nature and community funds to support local biodiversity, education, research, and workforce development,” Google’s press release read.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fortune.
Finland’s Google bet
Finland has become an attractive destination for data center developers because of its cool climate, access to low-carbon electricity and availability of land. Cooler temperatures can reduce the energy required to cool servers while the country’s electricity mix includes nuclear, wind and hydropower.
Google has operated data centers in Finland for years. Its existing Hamina facility has been operational since 2011, using seawater from the Gulf of Finland in its cooling system—a design the tech giant has touted as an alternative to conventional cooling approaches. The facility also draws on Finland’s electricity infrastructure.
And Finland went out of its way to land Google’s $15.1 billion project. “Finland is an attractive destination for investments, and attracting further investment remains a top priority,” Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in Google’s announcement in September. “Google’s decision is a clear testament to our strengths.”
The Nordic country welcomed the tech giant with open arms. Google partnered with Fingrid—Finland’s national electricity transmission system operator—and Business Finland—Finland’s official government organization and public funding agency—to identify locations for the company’s infrastructure. In September, it also signed a 22-year deal with Fortum to help extend the life of the Loviisa nuclear plant, which Google says supplies about 10% of Finland’s electricity.
“Without the lifetime extension investment program, the plant–which currently employs approximately 580 people and provides 10% of Finland’s electricity–could not continue operations beyond 2030,” Google said in a press release. “Keeping this clean energy asset online for decades to come will help stabilize electricity prices and support long-term resilience of Finland’s grid.”
But according to the European Commission, data centers are a growing environmental and climate challenge due to their large consumption of electricity and water needs. Their carbon footprint also depends on whether the electricity powering them comes from low-carbon or fossil-fuel sources.
“Sustainable, flexible and well-designed data centres that can adjust their electricity use to the grid conditions, can help lower the overall cost of the electricity system, improve grid stability, and integrate more renewable energy,” the Commission wrote.
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