Finnish police have opened a criminal investigation into Google’s clearing of 330 hectares of forest for an AI data centre, a project the government had championed.
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government → open → centre
Police in Oulu said on Thursday they were investigating Google’s Finnish subsidiary, Tuike Finland, for clearing and draining forest at Muhos, in the country’s north, before mandatory environmental impact assessments were complete.
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assessments → say → north
The case is being treated as environmental degradation.
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case → treat → degradation
Aki Enkenberg, who heads technology policy at Finland’s foreign ministry, told this masthead in Helsinki that despite the seriousness of the issue, it had not dimmed the country’s appetite for data centres.
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it → head → centres
Speaking in a personal capacity, he said: “The behaviour of Google, that’s, of course, being condemned by the government.
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that → speak → government
It doesn’t take anything away from the fact that this type of investment is welcomed and needed.”
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type → take → investment
But he said Finland needed to demand more from the companies.
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Finland → say → companies
“Practically speaking, we haven’t been very good at asking for something in return.
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we → speak → return
That’s more and more emerging as an issue,” he said.
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he → emerge → issue
“We should ask not only for infrastructure investment but also for R&D (research and development): becoming part of the ecosystem here in Finland, establishing research centres, establishing new partnerships, bringing in talented people.”
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We → ask → people
Australia is grappling with the same question.
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Australia → grapple → question
CBA economists estimated this week that the local data centre build-out could attract about $260 billion in investment by the mid-2030s.
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out → estimate → mid-2030s
Australia has 163 data centres in operation and 97 more expected by 2030, according to industry group Data Centres Australia.
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Australia → have → Australia
The federal government is drafting legislation to regulate the sector, including possible restrictions on large AI facilities in suburban areas.
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government → draft → areas
Goodman withdrew its Project Mars data centre in Sydney’s Lane Cove last month after community opposition.
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Goodman → withdraw → opposition
Victoria’s councils have asked the state government to stop approving new data centres until tougher rules are in place.
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rules → ask → place
Data Centres Australia chief executive Belinda Dennett told the Australian Financial Review this week the uncertainty was making investors anxious, and urged the government “to provide clarity of its policy position”.
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investors → tell → position
In Finland, Detective Superintendent Kari Pakanen told Reuters that police were examining whether Tuike had breached the country’s water act and caused environmental damage.
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Tuike → tell → damage
A guilty finding could lead to a corporate fine.
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finding → lead → fine
He declined to say whether individuals could be targeted.
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individuals → decline → ?
Police will give an update in December but expect the investigation to run into 2027.
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investigation → give → 2027
A police investigation does not mean a court has found wrongdoing, and no charges have been laid.
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charges → mean → wrongdoing
Finland’s environmental permits regulator ordered Google on October 6 to halt work at Muhos and at a second site at Otanmäki, near Kajaani, where about 200 hectares were cleared.
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hectares → order → Kajaani
Campaigners estimate about 250,000 trees were felled at Muhos alone.
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trees → estimate → Muhos
Google’s Finland country manager, Antti Järvinen, has apologised.
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manager → apologise → ?
He told The Guardian the company had acted on “the best understanding we had of the legislation at the time”.
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we → tell → time
A Google spokesperson said the company would co-operate with police.
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company → say → police
Google was contacted for further comment.
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Google → contact → comment
The two sites are part of a $US15 billion ($21 billion) AI infrastructure push Google announced in September, which it called its largest investment in Europe.
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it → announce → Europe
Finland’s cool climate and low-carbon power have made it one of Europe’s leading data centre destinations.
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it → make → destinations
Google has run a data centre since 2011 in a converted paper mill in the coastal town of Hamina, cooled with seawater.
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Google → run → seawater
Finnish authorities are considering applications for 145 new data centres.
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authorities → consider → centres
Grid operator Fingrid has said electricity use could rise by up to 40 per cent in coming years if all agreed connections go ahead.
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connections → say → years
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in September the deal would boost the economy.
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deal → say → economy
On Wednesday, he told parliament Google would have to “learn” from the incident and follow the law.
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Google → tell → law
More than 90,000 people have signed a petition calling for tougher data centre rules, and Finland goes to national elections in April.
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Finland → sign → April
Enkenberg said only about 5 or 6 per cent of global compute capacity sat in Europe, and Finland could help change that.
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Finland → say → that
“We can be quite a good and responsible host for computing,” he said.
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he → say → computing
David Swan travelled to Finland as a guest of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
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Swan → travel → Affairs
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newsletter → deliver → stories
The Aporia
