ASP DC, a Norwegian provider of data center services, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CompassForge Real Estate I, a Finnish data center project located in Pori with 37 hectare land area and 300-400 MW modular capacity, from CompassForge Ventures. With this agreement, ASP DC is to invest 1,65 billion Euro in Finland.
The transaction is expected to close in December 2025. The construction of the data center is set to start in 2026 with commercial operations of the first phase of the data center to start in early 2027. Often dubbed as the leading data center project in Finland, the new ownership and cooperation with the premium partners raises the Pori project to the landmark project in the Nordics. As part of this development, ASP DC has formed a strategic partnership with EcoGrid.Energy, ensuring that the project not only consumes power responsibly but also contributes to grid stability through innovative balancing solutions.
“We are very pleased to have found an experienced new owner that is well positioned to further enhance and drive future growth opportunities for the Pori data center project. With AI driving unprecedented, energy-intensive computing demand, the market increasingly requires data centers designed with intelligent, integrated energy management, such as the Pori platform. Now is the right time for the new owner to take the lead of this project,” says Juuso Virtanen, Chairman of CompassForge Ventures.
“We are very proud to have completed the acquisition of CompassForge Real Estate I. The acquisition makes it possible to continue our exceptional journey and aligns with our strategic goal of becoming the leading data center operator in the Nordics. Our aim for Pori is that is the data center will become the leading data center location in the Nordics, both in terms of technology and scale. We will achieve this goal by working closely with Ecogrid and other local partners in Pori. Our vision is that through our presence, we will also contribute locally in Pori and give back value to the local community”, says Magnus Asp, Owner and Charman of Asp DC.
“ASP DC’s investment is a perfect match with the Finnish government’s high value-added data center roadmap and the goals of the green transition. The new capacity being built in Pori will drive the electrification of the industry in Finland and also enable other green transition projects. The project also supports growth of construction and service businesses and promotes, among other things, developing higher education in Pori.
The project strongly utilises local expertise: in particular, ecogrid.energy brings top-tier energy management and technological know-how to the initiative, making Pori one of the pioneering cities in the sector. We are extremely proud that this investment takes place in Pori.”, states Lauri Inna, Mayor at City of Pori.
ecogrid.energy ltd and the founders of CompassForge Real Estate I will continue to support ASP DC in the development of the data center and the energy infrastructure at the site.
“The collaboration demonstrates that Finnish value-added innovation is in strong international demand. Thanks to our solution, the data center plays an important role in supporting the power grid, rather than merely consuming electricity, which also fits perfectly with the government’s data center roadmap,” said Seppo Ihalainen, partner, ecogrid.energy ltd.
Established by ASP Eiendom AS, a property enterprise in Norway operating since 2008, ASP DC with subsidiaries has emerged as a prominent provider of data center services in the south-western region of Norway.
CompassForge Ventures is a leading data center developer in Finland that has developed a market-leading energy-centric data center concept in cooperation with ecogrid.energy ltd, a premium energy management and development partner for data centers globally.
ASP DC is being advised by Avance Attorneys as the legal advisor. CompassForge Ventures is being advised by EY-Parthenon as the M&A advisor and Hannes Snellman as the legal advisor. NCC has been the development partner in the project.
