The cold climate and clean energy of Northern Europe have always been a hot commodity in the eyes of global data centers. This time, Nscale didn't want to wait anymore and announced a big move to build a high-density data center in the Sievari Industrial Zone in Haryawalta, Finland. And this time, it's not going it alone. The veteran energy giant Fortum has directly joined as a ground company, covering everything from site selection to power connection. This posture clearly shows that it wants to make a big impact on the Nordic computing power map.

Laying the road a year in advance, this was premeditated

Don't think this is a brainstorm decision, in fact, Fortum signed a planning and preservation agreement with the Haryawalta city government as early as June 2024, preserving the land. Now that Nscale has arrived, both parties immediately signed a site locking and development agreement, realizing the previous preparations. Simply put, Fortum is responsible for handling the most headache inducing power grid connection and approval, Nscale is responsible for providing funding and technology, and the municipal government is responsible for selling land. The three parties work closely together. This kind of rhythm of acquiring land and starting construction is not common in places like Finland with strict approval, which shows the local desire for digital infrastructure.

Not just computing power

Nscale is not only interested in Finland's low temperatures, but also in its energy strategic high ground here. Markus P ä ivinen, a senior executive of the company, put it bluntly: the sustainable genes of Nordic countries are simply a perfect match for our high-density infrastructure strategy. We want to serve as the computing power foundation for the next generation of digital services in Europe. Fortum, on the other hand, is even more shrewd in its calculations. Jyrki Holappa, the director of customer site selection and development, directly pointed out that what we want is low-carbon growth. Data centers are major consumers of electricity. Keeping them in Finland can not only digest local clean energy, but also promote the dual wheel drive of social electrification and digitization. Keywords: international news, Europe, data center

Mayor Hannu Kuusela bluntly stated that this is not just about building a building, but a chicken that can lay golden eggs - both the construction and operation periods can create employment and drive the surrounding economy. Although the specific power capacity has not been finalized yet and will only be known after the design approval is completed, with this momentum, the industrial town of Haryawalta is likely to become a new stronghold for the Nordic digital economy.Editor/Cheng Liting