Google Ordered to Pause Two Data Centre Sites in Finland Over Unfinished Environmental Reviews
Finland's Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) has ordered Google to temporarily stop work on two datacentre sites in Muhos and Kajaani for proceeding without completed environmental impact assessments. The Guardian
The two sites form part of a 13 billion euro project across multiple locations in northern Finland. Google is represented in the country by Tuike Finland Oy. An environmental impact assessment is a formal study of how a project could affect forests, water, wildlife and nearby communities, much like a safety check before major construction. In Muhos, the company felled 330 hectares (815 acres) of forest without completing that assessment. In Kajaani, it logged just under 200 hectares (494 acres).
LVV has required the company to suspend, by 23 October at the latest, preparatory measures that significantly change the environment at the two sites until the assessment process is complete. According to LVV, that work included tree removal, topsoil stripping and construction of site roads. The assessments for the sites are ongoing and expected to be completed later in 2026. LVV has given Google until next Wednesday after 6 October 2026 to submit a written explanation. Tommi Muilu is head of the environmental department at LVV. The authority said it would consider enforcement proceedings and a fine if the suspension notice is not followed.
Google said it had fallen short of its own high standards and that it will study the LVV's findings and follow their guidance. The company said it acted in good faith under the Forestry Act, carried out nature surveys and put in place measures to protect high-value areas. Its landscaping and biodiversity plans include tree planting across 130 hectares (321 acres) at Muhos. Tapani Veistola is chief operating officer at the Finnish Union for Nature Conservation.
Company materials describe a larger footprint around the two municipalities. Google says it acquired 2,100 hectares of land in Muhos and Kajaani for potential future data centre development. In September, the company said it plans to invest 31 million euros into local communities in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala over the next four years, as part of an expansion of its digital infrastructure in Finland. Its Hamina data centre is linked to an offsite heat recovery project intended to supply heat to local households, schools and public service buildings.
The broader context here is procedural rather than prohibitive. The LVV action does not cancel the projects. It enforces sequencing: assessment first, irreversible site alteration second. That distinction matters for hyperscale developers that acquire large land banks and begin forestry and earthworks while parallel permitting tracks are still open.
Looking ahead to what this means for the timeline, the near-term tests are compliance and disclosure. The written explanation will establish how Tuike interprets the interaction between forestry permissions and assessment thresholds. The suspension deadline will test physical demobilisation on two active preparation sites. Completion of the assessments later in 2026 will then determine what mitigation, redesign or compensation is attached to any construction consent. For operators and host municipalities, the episode clarifies that early clearance creates regulatory and reputational exposure even where longer-term community investment and biodiversity plans are pledged.
