World
Google project in Finland halted after 250,000 trees were cut for AI data centers before environmental review
By: Hindustan Times World
Published: 24 October 2026
Photo / Illustration: Haldwani Times News Desk
<p>Google has been ordered to halt key construction work at two planned AI data centre sites in Finland. Regulators found that the company carried out extensive land clearing with an an estimated 250,000 trees cut before completing legally required environmental impact assessments (EIA). The order affects Google’s projects in Muhos and Otanmäki, which form part of the company’s multibillion-euro AI infrastructure expansion in the Nordic country.</p>
<p>FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is seen during Kering Innovation Day 2026 at the company’s headquarters in Paris, France, January 22, 2026. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo (REUTERS)The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) directed Google’s local subsidiary, Tuike Finland Oy, to immediately suspend preparatory work that significantly alters the environment until the EIA process is completed. The order covers tree removal, excavation, topsoil stripping, road construction, drainage work and other major site preparation. Planning, surveying and soil studies may continue.</p>
<p>Roughly 330 hectares (815 acres) of forest were cleared at Muhos, while nearly 200 hectares were logged at Otanmäki before environmental assessments were completed. The Guardian has reported that around 250,000 trees were felled at Muhos, with about 150,000 more removed at Otanmäki.</p>
<p>Google acknowledged the controversy and apologized after the regulator’s decision.</p>
<p>Antti Järvinen, Google’s Finland manager, told The Guardian that the company had acted “on the best understanding we had of the legislation at the time.”</p>
<p>The company has also said it “fell short of our own high standards” and confirmed that preparatory work stopped after the LVV’s order. Google said it would fully comply with the regulator while continuing discussions with Finnish authorities. It has proposed biodiversity measures, including replanting trees across about 130 hectares at the Muhos site.</p>
<p>LVV said the extensive preparatory work had already significantly altered the environment.</p>
<p>Environmental groups and local residents argue the scale of the forest clearance has caused lasting ecological damage. According to The Guardian, residents reported muddy runoff entering nearby waterways. Some locals also claimed animals displaced by the logging had begun entering nearby communities.</p>
<p>The halt has also raised concerns around Finland’s rapid expansion as a European hub for AI data centers. Finland has attracted technology companies because of its cool climate, renewable energy supply and digital infrastructure. Moreover, the Finnish government has encouraged the AI investment.</p>
<p>However, environmental organizations argue that large projects should not proceed before mandatory environmental reviews are finished. A public petition calling for stricter regulation of data centre developments has attracted more than 93,000 signatures, according to The Guardian.</p>
<p>Google announced earlier this year that it plans to invest about €13 billion (roughly $15 billion) in AI infrastructure across Finland through 2028. The expansion includes projects in Hamina, Muhos, Kajaani and Vaala.</p>
<p>Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More</p>
