Permitting & environmental review · NEWS BRIEF

Finnish regulator tells two Google-linked data-center sites to pause major ground work

By Grid & Silicon · Published October 7, 2026
Source: Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority · October 6, 2026

What happened

Finland's Licensing and Supervision Authority has directed Tuike Finland to stop major preparatory work at planned data-center sites in Muhos and Kajaani by October 23 while environmental-impact reviews remain unfinished.

What the regulator said must stop

The authority's October 6 notice calls for Tuike Finland to suspend environment-altering preparation immediately and no later than October 23. It lists tree removal, topsoil stripping, excavation, blasting, crushing, moving earth, drainage changes, and building site roads or storage areas. The request applies to planned projects at Muhos and Kajaani.

The notice is narrower than a shutdown of every project activity. Planning, measurements, soil studies and other minor or readily reversible work may continue. The environmental-impact-assessment procedures for both sites are still under way, with assessment reports expected during 2026.

Why early site work matters

An environmental assessment is supposed to inform decisions before choices become difficult to reverse. The agency said extensive preparatory work had already occurred, including vegetation removal, stripped soil, roads, storage areas, drainage changes and storm-water arrangements. In its view, continuing those changes could weaken the assessment's ability to compare alternatives and prevent harm.

The Guardian, in freely accessible reporting that identifies Tuike as representing Google, said about 330 hectares had been cleared at Muhos and just under 200 hectares logged at Kajaani. Those area figures come from the newspaper's reporting, not from the regulator's release. Google told the newspaper it would study the findings and follow the authority's guidance.

What happens next

Tuike Finland has until October 14 to submit a written explanation, including whether it intends to comply. The authority said voluntary correction is its first objective. If the company does not comply, the agency may begin administrative-enforcement proceedings and could support an order with a conditional fine.

This is a pause in specified preparatory measures, not the cancellation of either data-center proposal. The release gives no opening date, power capacity or revised construction schedule. The practical delay will depend on compliance, completion of both impact assessments and any enforcement or permitting steps that follow.

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