Fortum to support Nscale’s plans to establish data centre in Finland

Nscale, the European based AI infrastructure company, announces interest in building a data centre in Harjavalta, Finland, said the Finnish majority state-owned energy company Fortum in a press release on Thursday.

The facility is planned for the Sievari industrial area, owned by the Town of Harjavalta and Fortum is supporting the project as site development partner.

The project is in line with Fortum’s strategic priorities to drive electrification in the Nordics. 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 centre 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. This agreement has no material impact on Fortum’s earnings.

The total power capacity of the planned data centre 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,” Jyrki Holappa, Customer Site Development Director of Fortum said.

“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.

“The Town of Harjavalta welcomes Nscale to establish a data centre 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”, said Hannu Kuusela, Mayor of Harjavalta.