Finnish police have opened a criminal investigation into suspected environmental law violations at the construction site of a planned Google data centre in northern Finland, raising questions about the project’s drainage and water management.
The investigation concerns a site near the town of Muhos operated by Tuike Finland, a subsidiary of Alphabet’s Google, which is expanding its artificial intelligence infrastructure in the Nordic country.
Google announced last month plans to invest $15 billion in AI infrastructure in Finland, describing the investment as its largest in Europe.
Authorities have said Tuike Finland carried out forest clearing and drainage at the planned site before completing environmental impact assessments required under Finnish law.
“Based on preliminary information, there have been ambiguities and shortcomings in the drainage and water management at the construction site of Tuike Finland Oy’s data centre project,” police said in a statement.
“The criminal investigation will examine, among other things, circumstances related to these issues,” they added.
On October 6, Finland’s Supervisory Agency, which oversees environmental permits and assessments, ordered Google to halt preparatory work that altered the environment at Muhos and at a separate site.
Google has previously said it began preparatory work based on its understanding of the approvals required under relevant legislation.
Finland has become a major destination for data centre investment in Europe, helped by its cool climate, low-carbon electricity supply and government support for AI infrastructure.
The country, which has a population of fewer than 6 million, has faced less vocal opposition to data centre construction than some other markets, including the United States, where concerns have grown over the facilities’ electricity and water consumption.
Google has said its planned Finnish investments include data centres, electricity grid improvements, clean energy and battery projects. The infrastructure is intended to support services including its Gemini AI assistant, Search, Maps and YouTube.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo backed Google’s investment plan last month, saying it would provide a boost to the economy while playing down concerns that the expansion would increase electricity demand and push up power prices.
The police investigation adds to scrutiny of the environmental implications of large-scale AI infrastructure development as technology companies expand computing capacity to meet growing demand for AI services.
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