A data centre planned for Keminmaa, if realised, would generate jobs and significant tax revenue. The first phase involves initiating a zoning and EIA process to determine the project’s prerequisites.

Energy company Pohjan Voima plans to build a data centre in the Mykkä area, approximately 10 kilometres north of the Keminmaa municipal centre. A 60-hectare site has been reserved for the project. The data centre would have a significant impact on the municipality’s vitality.

“If the data centre is realised, property tax alone would amount to millions of euros per year. The construction phase would employ a significant number of local workers, and permanent jobs would also be created,” says Tomi Mäkipelto, CEO of Pohjan Voima.

“This project would be of great significance for Keminmaa. It could attract technology companies to the area more broadly,” says Municipal Manager Hannele Matinlassi. “I see the data centre as a very positive development for residents and businesses alike.”

Preliminary studies by Pohjan Voima indicate that the area is well suited to a data centre. The site is commercial forest land, located far from the municipal centre. Two Fingrid substations are in the immediate vicinity, through which the data centre would receive its electricity supply. Fibre-optic connections to Sweden and Norway also run nearby.

The Keminmaa Municipal Board is scheduled to decide on 24 February 2026 whether to initiate the zoning process. Pohjan Voima’s Tomi Mäkipelto emphasises that the aim at this stage is to begin determining the conditions under which a data centre can be built in the area. The benefits and impacts will be thoroughly assessed through the zoning planning and EIA process. The necessary nature surveys will be conducted, and local residents’ views will be carefully consulted throughout the project’s development.

One example is the Kalli-Karunki skiing and hiking trail, which runs through the data centre project area. The trail will be carefully considered in the planning process to ensure recreational activities can continue.

Finland is currently attracting strong interest in data centre construction. According to Mäkipelto, Pohjan Voima is already in discussions with interested investors to identify a potential financier for the project as soon as possible.

If the zoning and permitting processes proceed as planned, the zoning plan enabling the construction of the data centre will be submitted to the Municipal Council for approval in 2027. The investment decision on the data centre could then be made in late 2027 or early 2028.

Pohjan Voima develops clean energy production and its applications: energy parks, battery energy storage systems, and low-emission data centres. The company is owned by the Swedish Arise (part of the Nordic Aneo Group), the mutual insurance company LocalTapiola, and the company’s management team.

“We are an experienced Finnish operator, backed by a major Nordic group and its financial resources,” Mäkipelto says.

According to a report by the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), business related to the construction, maintenance, and infrastructure of data centres offers Finland billion-euro opportunities this decade in terms of investment, tax revenue, and high-skilled jobs. The report indicates that publicly announced data centre investment plans in Finland total EUR 12 billion, with an overall potential of more than EUR 30 billion. This makes the sector one of the largest private sector investment areas in the coming years.

CONTACT

Tomi Mäkipelto
CEO, Pohjan Voima
+358 50 370 4092
tomi.makipelto@pohjanvoima.fi