法国科技集团计划在芬兰建设一座价值100亿欧元的数据中心

French technology company Seserce plans to invest more than 10 billion euros to build a large artificial intelligence data center in Finland.

French technology company Seserce announced that it plans to invest more than 10 billion euros (approximately US$11 billion) to build a large artificial intelligence data center on the site of an old paper mill in Jämsä, Finland that will close in 2021. The first phase of construction is expected to start in 2026, with the initial facility's design power requirement of 200 megawatts (MW). Seserce said the site had a major customer committed to using the facility, so "anchor tenants" had been established before construction began.

Infrastructure Challenges and Planning Vision

The development project proposed by Seserce aims to transform the former Kaipola Paper Mill site into a large-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure facility. Its first phase has a target capacity of 200 MW and construction is scheduled to begin in 2026; the second phase will bring the entire park's capacity to 600 MW. In the long term, Seserce also hopes to develop more than 1 GW of artificial intelligence computing power across Finland, a broader goal that is not limited to the Yamsar Campus.

Site selection is crucial. The former industrial site already has infrastructure, including high-voltage power connections. Reusing such facilities may bring development advantages, but the actual cost and construction timetable of the project still need to be verified. Seserce has outlined commitments on renewable energy, cooling and water management, but their effectiveness will depend on implementation and future operating results.

核心区别在于“宣布的投资”与“交付的计算能力”。融资安排、建设审批以及全面投入运营的时间表仍是重要的不确定性因素。对于欧洲的人工智能基础设施雄心而言，此次公告既展示了计划中计算设施的巨大规模，也揭示了将这些计划转化为实际运营能力的现实挑战。

芬兰民众反应不一

建造巨型人工智能数据中心往往会引发当地居民的担忧，他们担心噪音污染、大量用水以及电网拥挤等问题。Sesterce 计划在芬兰建设的这座价值 100 亿欧元的人工智能数据中心园区，在芬兰社交媒体上引发了截然不同的反响。

一位名为 EevaS 的芬兰用户质疑，为何政府没有像此前庆祝谷歌的投资计划那样，对 Sesterce 的公告大加赞扬。她在推文中写道：“法国人工智能基础设施公司 Sesterce 周四宣布，计划在 Kaipola 前造纸厂区域建设一个价值超过 100 亿欧元的数据中心园区。为什么政府不为此欢呼？当谷歌的 130 亿欧元项目时，总理奥恩都因此感到压力。”

Another user,@FinlandiaSlava, was skeptical that the promised investment could be translated into actual construction projects. She commented: "I hope Seserce knows that Finland is not a 'banana republic'(a country that is politically unstable or controlled by foreign forces). Google didn't actually start work on its data center site, and neither did Areva at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant site."

Other responses focused more on the proposed site selection. Lemmy thinks this is a good choice because existing factory buildings and major power connections already exist. He believes this could avoid the need to clear hundreds of hectares of forest for new development.

Why foreign technology companies are pouring into northern Europe

The primary driving force of this boom is electricity. Artificial intelligence data centers consume far more power than traditional server facilities because thousands of high-performance chips must continue to operate. Norway has attracted companies such as OpenAI, Nscale and Aker to participate in a US$1 billion AI facility plan, relying on its power supply entirely from renewable energy; Sweden is also expanding its artificial intelligence infrastructure as companies seek large-scale reliable power supplies.

The region's climate is another big advantage. Artificial intelligence chips generate huge amounts of heat, making cooling a major operating cost for large computing facilities. Cooler temperatures in Northern Europe allow data center operators to utilize outside air and other efficient cooling systems for most of the year. This is particularly valuable for artificial intelligence facilities running high-density, high-performance GPU clusters 24/7.

此外，公司也在寻找符合人工智能所需规模的建筑空间。挪威和瑞典拥有大片位于传统数据中心枢纽之外的区域，开发商可以在那里获得数百兆瓦设施所需的土地和电力。例如，atNorth 正在开发一个新的挪威站点，起始容量为 120 兆瓦，设计可扩展至 350 兆瓦。

与此同时，另一项重要动态是：由贝莱德（BlackRock）和 IFM Investors 支持的财团正在进行独家谈判，以收购 Stack Infrastructure 的亚太区数据中心组合，交易估值在 200 亿至 250 亿美元之间。该集团包括由贝莱德支持的人工智能基础设施合作伙伴关系（AIP），这是微软、英伟达、xAI 和 MGX 共同创立的人工智能基础设施投资工具。