Google's data center project in Finland is under investigation after its local operator, Tuike Finland, cleared more than 300 hectares of forest near Muhos without first obtaining a mandatory environmental impact assessment, according to AFP. The cleared area is equivalent to roughly 420 football fields.
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation has filed a suspension request with the conservation agency. Its chair, Hanna Halmeenpaa, said operations should stop until the project's legality is clarified and claimed that even some nature preservation areas were logged. Google denies this, telling AFP that tree felling complied with Forestry Act requirements and that high-value nature zones were protected during the work.
The dispute highlights the tension around Finland's appeal as a data center hub: a cool climate, stable and cheap energy, and a need for economic growth. Google is investing 13 billion euros in Finland over two years and expanding to Muhos, Kajaani, and Vaala, alongside its existing Hamina facility. Residents and environmental groups worry about impacts on nature, energy supply stability, and energy prices.