European based AI infrastructure company Nscale announced interest in building a datacenter in Harjavalta, Finland. The facility is planned for the Sievari industrial area, owned by the Town of Harjavalta. Fortum is supporting the project as site development partner.
Fortum laid the groundwork for this site development in June 2024 by signing a planning reservation agreement with the Town of Harjavalta. The agreement covered marketing, zoning, and grid connection support for a potential data center site in Sievari and marked the first phase of advancing the area for future investment.
Fortum has now signed a site securing and development agreement (SSDA) with Nscale and will continue the work initiated in 2024. In parallel, Nscale and the Town of Harjavalta have begun the process toward a preliminary land sale of the Sievari site. Under the agreement, Fortum’s role is to support the smooth progress of Nscale’s project development, including grid connection design and permitting.
The total power capacity of the planned data center is to be determined during the next design and permitting phases.
“This cooperation reflects our broader strategy to enable low-carbon growth by providing customers with the right conditions to build scalable, sustainable operations in Finland. These types of projects play a key role in driving electrification and digitalisation in our societies,” Jyrki Holappa, Customer Site Development Director at Fortum states.
“The Nordic market, and Finland specifically, offers unique advantages that align perfectly with our commitment to sustainable, high-density infrastructure,” said Markus Päivinen, Nscale’s Managing Director for Finland and Baltics. “We look forward to contributing to the local economy, collaborating with local energy providers, and delivering cutting-edge compute capacity that will fuel the next generation of digital services in Finland throughout Europe.
“The Town of Harjavalta welcomes Nscale to establish a data center in Harjavalta as part of the expansion of the Sievari Industrial Park. The project is important for the town, as it brings employment to the region and strengthens the local economy both during construction and operation”, says Hannu Kuusela, Mayor of Harjavalta.
