Google Pledges Over $15 Billion for AI Infrastructure in Finland — Update

By Dominic Chopping and Mauro Orru

Alphabet's Google said it would spend more than $15 billion to develop artificial-intelligence infrastructure in Finland over the next two years, the latest big-ticket commitment from a U.S. tech giant to bolster its AI capacity overseas.

The company said the investment of at least 13 billion euros, equivalent to $15.11 billion, would fund data centers and other infrastructure between 2027 and 2028 across four locations: Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala. Google also said it would support clean energy projects, nature and community funds.

The commitment, which the company said was its largest single investment in Europe, underscores efforts from Google to expand operations overseas in a bid to satisfy growing demand for AI services.

Tech giants have pledged billions of dollars to beef up data centers, cloud services and AI infrastructure in Europe since OpenAI's release of ChatGPT to the public in late 2022 ushered in a spending frenzy.

Earlier this year, Amazon.com said it would invest 33.7 billion euros through 2035 to bolster its cloud and data-center infrastructure in Spain, while Microsoft said in September last year that it would pour $30 billion into AI infrastructure and existing operations in the U.K. through 2028.

Google currently has a data center in Hamina on Finland's south coast--the site of a former paper mill that it bought in 2009 and converted. The financing outlined Wednesday includes fresh investments there and at other sites to develop digital infrastructure to power services like Gemini, Search, Maps, and YouTube.

As part of its digital infrastructure buildout in the country, Google also said it was allocating funds to new energy capacity, grid enhancements and energy affordability initiatives.

The company signed power purchase agreements with domestic onshore wind power providers and contracted a new battery system to connect to Finland's grid to help with grid balancing and stabilizing electricity prices.

Shares of Fortum jumped more than 8% Wednesday after the Nordic energy group said it had signed a 22-year power purchase agreement with Google that would enable it to extend the life of its Loviisa nuclear power plant.

Under the agreement, Google will buy 50% of the nuclear power plant's capacity from 2030 through 2049.

News Corp, owner of Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal, has a content-licensing partnership with OpenAI.

Write to Dominic Chopping at dominic.chopping@wsj.com and Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 09, 2026 05:18 ET (09:18 GMT)