French AI infrastructure company Sesterce is planning a large-scale Sesterce Campus on the site of the former Kaipola paper mill. The investment of over €10 billion will start with 200 MW.
During construction, the project is expected to employ approximately 2,000 people, and around 300 people once the campus is fully operational. Sesterce is committed to working primarily with Finnish contractors and subcontractors for construction.
“For more than six decades, the Kaipola mill produced paper for the world. Now, a new generation of industry is being planned for the site. Our goal is to preserve the area's industrial identity while making use of existing infrastructure, including the power grid, water systems, buildings and logistics connections”, said Youssef El Manssouri, CEO of Sesterce. The company is also actively exploring further opportunities for industrial site redevelopment across Finland.
A phased development
The first phase, with works planned to start in 2026, will have a capacity of 200 MW. Capacity is expected to increase to 600 MW in the second phase. Over the longer term, Sesterce aims to build more than one gigawatt of AI capacity in Finland, on existing industrial sites and in line with real market demand. The project is based on real demand and committed workload capacity: Sesterce already has an anchor customer and a strong outlook for the gradual growth of computing demand.
Four commitments for the Jämsä campus
Sesterce says its Campus commitment will be measured, audited by an independent third party and reported publicly every year. It promises four things:
- New renewable capacity for the Finnish grid
For every 1 MW consumed by the campus, Sesterce commits to enabling 1 MW of new renewable generation capacity within the Finnish power grid, within ten years of the campus becoming operational. Only newly built generation capacity will qualify.
- No drinking water for cooling
Cooling will rely on a closed-loop liquid system, supplemented with harvested rainwater and recycled water. Drinking water will not be used for cooling.
- A €10 million community fund
Upon commissioning of the Jämsä campus, Sesterce will establish a €10 million community fund to finance local projects selected by the City of Jämsä together with local residents.
- A campus open to its community
The site will include facilities open to the public, such as restaurants and education and learning spaces. The facilities serving the AI infrastructure will remain separate, secure and protected.
“Our planning is based on energy-efficient and flexible operations", said El Manssouri. "The Sesterce Campus projects will use liquid cooling, deliver high energy efficiency and feature controllable and flexible power consumption. Opportunities for utilizing waste heat are also being considered as part of the design.”
Perspectives from Jämsä and Elenia
Jori Reijula, Mayor of Jämsä: “Jämsä needs new investments, business activity and jobs. The Sesterce project is an interesting opportunity to strengthen the vitality of the region, provided it progresses from plans to implementation and meets the applicable requirements. The redevelopment of the Kaipola site would be a welcome opportunity to give the area a new lease on life and support job creation in Jämsä. The City wants to advance investment projects in cooperation with businesses and will assess each project carefully as it moves forward.”
Jorma Myllymäki, CEO of Elenia: “A functioning, reliable and resilient electricity network is a key enabler of vitality, economic growth, and large-scale industrial investments. The Kaipola industrial site is connected to Elenia's high-voltage electricity network, which currently provides a solid foundation for implementing the first phase of the project.”
