"Would Flying Squirrels Live Here If There Were Electromagnetic Waves or Noise?"... Even Finns Are Surprised by Google's Data Center [AIDC Era of Coexistence] ⑥

Ⅱ. Finland’s Eco-Friendly Data Center, a Partner in Urban Transformation

Google Builds Data Center Utilizing Former Paper Mill Buildings and Land

Presence of Protected Wildlife Allays Environmental Concerns

From Historic Fortress Town

Editor's NoteIn the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the government has announced plans to build a total of 18.4GW of data centers by 2035 as part of its three major mega-projects, positioning them as an engine for the country's future growth. Previously serving as facilities supporting IT services, web applications, and data storage and sharing, data centers are now evolving into industrial platforms that produce and supply AI computing resources. However, despite the common recognition of data centers as core infrastructure determining national industrial competitiveness, there remain many challenges to be addressed before AI Data Center (AIDC) expansion can be achieved. The Asia Business Daily has directly covered overseas cases in Finland, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands that have cleverly resolved issues surrounding AIDCs—including power supply, permits, water supply, and resident conflicts—and seeks solutions for how AIDCs in Korea can become assets that coexist with local communities.

Sari Paljakka, technical mangager at Hamina City, Finland, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Hee-Jong Kang

Hamina, a city about two hours by car from Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is well-known as a military fortress town. In the 18th century, it was designed with a unique octagonal radial structure to serve as a defensive installation under Swedish rule. The building that was once an officer academy during the Russian Imperial era is also a local landmark.

Recently, this city has become a benchmark for global information technology (IT) firms. This is because the AI data center that Google has built here is serving as a representative case of how regional coexistence with such facilities can be achieved.

On July 7 (local time), the exterior view of Google’s Hamina data center looked distinctly different from other typical data centers. In 2009, Google purchased a former paper mill building and site and converted it into a data center. To date, Google has invested approximately 4.5 billion euros (about KRW 7.5 trillion) in the Hamina data center. Google is currently constructing its seventh data center building. On the day of the visit, the expansion project was in full swing.

Sari Paljakka, technical mangager at Hamina City, explained in an interview with The Asia Business Daily, “Because the data center was established on land that local residents were already familiar with as a factory site, there was little resistance due to concerns about environmental destruction. We were also able to shorten approval procedures by making use of the existing infrastructure of the paper mill.”

In Finland, electromagnetic waves or noise do not become prominent issues in the process of constructing data centers. When asked about electromagnetic waves or noise, Hamina City officials seemed puzzled by the question. In fact, even near the Google data center, there was no noise to be heard at all.

Google data center exterior in Hamina, Finland. The building and site, formerly a paper mill from 2009, were converted into a data center. Photo by Heejong Kang

Instead, in Finland, the biggest concern among residents is potential environmental destruction. The construction process could destroy ancient forests or damage habitats for animals and plants. However, during the Google data center construction, there was not a single resident complaint filed.

On the contrary, when it was confirmed that the site was home to flying squirrels—a species designated as protected in Finland—the data center attracted significant attention. Director Paljakka said, “Even Finns would be surprised if they heard that flying squirrels live in a data center. After all, if there were electromagnetic waves or noise, could flying squirrels really survive there?”

It is said that, in Finland, construction projects can be canceled outright due to the presence of flying squirrels. Director Paljakka revealed that Google designed the data center so as not to disturb the migration paths of these animals.

Since the establishment of the Google data center, Hamina has been enjoying significant economic benefits. The city has been transforming from an old fortress town into a digital city.

Jarkko Harjula, Senior Advisor at Cursor Oy, explained, "Thanks to Google’s brand power, the awareness of this region has increased, and an ecosystem of data centers, research institutions, and educational organizations is taking root." Cursor is an investment attraction specialist company established jointly by the municipalities of Hamina and the neighboring Kotka region.

In fact, within a 100-kilometer radius of Google’s Hamina data center, there are several data center-related companies, including Hyperco, Novacomplex, and Polarnode. It is also said that Google's investment and support are creating more digital education opportunities for young people.

Jarkko Harjula, Senior Advisor at Cursor Oy. Cursor is an investment attraction specialized company established jointly by the municipalities of Hamina and the neighboring Kotka region. Photo by Hee-Jong Kang

Director Paljakka said, “The data center construction created new jobs, and the resident staff have invigorated Hamina's local economy.” In 2024, Google announced that it would invest an additional 1 billion euros to expand the Hamina data center. At the time, Deloitte analyzed that, over the next two years, 1,900 direct jobs, 1,650 indirect jobs, and 640 construction-related jobs would be created. Approximately 400 people are currently employed at the Google data center, including computer technicians, security personnel, dining staff, and facility management workers.

Hamina is now aiming to become a hub for data centers. Director Paljakka said, “We expect that attracting data centers could potentially create up to 10,000 jobs. We also want to offer opportunities for people who once studied paper manufacturing to now work at data centers.”

Most notably, Google’s Hamina data center is making a major contribution to the region by utilizing waste heat from the data center for district heating. Hamina now sources 80% of the heat required for district heating from the Google data center.

Near the Google data center, a 7.5-megawatt (MW) capacity heat pump facility is operated unmanned. Starting November 2025, Hamina Energy will operate this heat pump to heat waste heat from the Google data center to over 85°C, supplying it via pipelines for residential heating in Hamina. After passing through a heat exchanger and cooling down, the water returns to the data center to be reused as cooling water. Hamina Energy receives the waste heat from the data center free of charge.

The heat pump building visited on site had the logo “Heatzilla” prominently displayed. Upon entering, three large heat pumps were visible. Each heat pump contained four compressors, with a total of twelve compressors installed.

Kalevi Mattila, CEO of Hamina Energy, explained, “From spring to autumn, the waste heat from the data center alone is enough to cover the heating needs of Hamina residents.” In winter, an additional heating system using wood chips as fuel is added.

Kalevi Mattila, CEO of Hamina Energy, is introducing a heat pump connected to the Google data center. Photo by Hee-Jong Kang

CEO Mattila also said, “Ninety-five percent of the electricity needed to operate the heat pumps is supplied from renewable energy sources,” meaning almost no greenhouse gases are emitted for district heating purposes.

Originally, residents of Hamina mainly used individual heating systems powered by natural gas. Consequently, heating costs were greatly affected by fluctuations in natural gas prices. From 2019, Hamina began replacing these individual systems with eco-friendly district heating. This paved the way for leveraging waste heat from the data center to supply district heating.

After utilizing data center waste heat for district heating, the city was able to reduce heating costs and was barely affected by spikes in fuel prices. CEO Mattila added, "We are also considering ways to use waste heat for industrial purposes."

Kalevi Mattila, CEO of Hamina Energy, is introducing a heat pump connected to the Google data center. Photo by Heejong Kang

Asked about ways to resolve conflicts with local residents regarding data center construction, Director Paljakka emphasized the importance of transparent information disclosure. She said, “Data centers cause much less damage than other factories. It is important to disclose information from the very first planning stages and to regularly provide opportunities to gather residents’ feedback.”

Regarding misconceptions about data centers, she stressed, “It is essential to continually and repeatedly deliver accurate information.”

Senior Advisor Harjula said, “Google is engaged in various activities in Hamina with a strong sense of social responsibility. It is also important for companies operating data centers to fully integrate into local communities.”

This report was supported by funding from the Journalism Promotion Fund, established from government advertising fees.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.