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Finland’s Supervisory Agency (LVV) ordered Google subsidiary Tuike Finland to stop environmentally significant preparatory work at planned data-center sites in Muhos and Kajaani until the required environmental impact assessment procedures are completed. The reported claim that 530 hectares were cleared is not verified: reporting attributes a figure of more than 300 hectares to a conservation group’s chair for Muhos alone, not to an official combined accounting.
Why did Finland halt work at the planned data centers?
LVV said the preparatory work could significantly alter the environment. The activities described included removing trees and topsoil, building site roads and storage areas, and changing ditches. Its order applies to environmentally significant preparatory work at both planned sites and remains in effect until environmental impact assessment procedures for Muhos and Kajaani are completed. Yle reported the order on 8 October 2026; Euronews, reporting with AFP on 7 October, described the agency’s demand to suspend such measures.
This is an order about preparatory work that could significantly change the sites, not a statement that every aspect of either data-center project has been cancelled. The agency’s stated condition for the order to end is completion of the required assessment procedures.
Was 530 hectares cleared?
The available reporting does not substantiate a total of 530 hectares cleared. Euronews/AFP reported that Hanna Halmeenpää, chair of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, said nature areas considered worthy of preservation had been logged across more than 300 hectares at Muhos. That is an attributed claim about Muhos, not an LVV acreage finding or a combined total for Muhos and Kajaani. Yle described clearance of hundreds of hectares but did not report a 530-hectare figure.
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A separate figure can also cause confusion: Finland’s government described the four land parcels authorized for sale in Muhos and Kajaani as totaling approximately 1,400 hectares. That is the area of land parcels sold for future infrastructure, not the area cleared. The government’s 2024 announcement gives the parcel context.
What did Google and Finnish officials say?
Google’s response
Google spokesperson Sondre Ronander told AFP: “We understand the concerns and have fallen short of our own high standards in this instance,” and, “We will study the LVV’s findings and follow their guidance.” Google also said it had acted in good faith, conducted environmental surveys and measures, and was advancing landscaping and biodiversity plans, including planned tree planting across 130 hectares at Muhos. These are the company’s statements and plans; they do not resolve LVV’s concerns or replace the required assessment procedures.
The government’s position
Finland’s Minister of the Environment and Climate, Sari Multala, told Helsingin Sanomat: “this is a serious matter: all companies operating in Finland must comply with the law. In this case, that has not happened.” The quotation was relayed by Euronews/AFP. It expresses the minister’s position; it is not a court judgment.
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What happens next?
As of the reporting dates, Tuike Finland had been asked to explain its actions and describe how it intended to proceed by 14 October 2026. LVV’s demand was to suspend environmentally significant preparatory measures immediately and no later than 23 October 2026. Those deadlines were still pending as of the reporting dates; the reporting does not establish whether Tuike subsequently responded or what LVV decided afterward.
The stop-work order is to remain in effect until the environmental impact assessment procedures for both sites are completed. The available reports do not provide the full order or the underlying assessment documents, so they do not establish a final environmental review outcome.
Is Google under criminal investigation in Finland?
Yle reported that police had begun a preliminary investigation into preparatory work at Muhos. Investigators were determining whether there was enough evidence to open a pre-trial investigation. This is not a finding that a crime occurred, and the reported information does not establish a final police decision.
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How does the halt fit into Google’s Finland investment plans?
Google announced on 9 September 2026 that it would invest €13 billion in Finland over two years in digital infrastructure, clean energy and local partnerships, describing the expansion as its largest single investment in Europe. Google projected that the initial construction phase in 2027–28 would support more than 37,000 jobs nationwide and contribute €3.6 billion annually to Finland’s GDP. These are company projections, not measured results. Google’s announcement sets out those claims; the investment plans do not change the environmental assessment requirement or determine the outcome of LVV’s order.
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