Helios Plans Third Nordic Data Center on 860-Hectare Site in Finnish Lapland

Nordic renewable energy developer Helios is pushing deeper into the data center sector with plans for a large-scale facility in Finnish Lapland, marking the company's third announced project in the country. The municipality of Tervola said Helios Nordic Energy Finland Oy has submitted a zoning request for a data center in the Koivu area, roughly 20 kilometers from the Tervola municipal center.

While full technical specifications have not been disclosed, the proposed site spans approximately 860 hectares, signaling a development of significant scale. The application was filed through Helios' affiliate, Helios 1 Cranberry Oy. The project aligns with Finland's broader push to attract hyperscale and enterprise data center investment, leveraging its cold climate, stable grid, and robust digital infrastructure.

Jenny Hölttä, project developer at Helios, emphasized the strategic fit: "Finland's strengths for locating data centers are a safe and predictable operating environment, a reliable electricity grid, a cool climate, and high-quality telecommunications connections. Finland has an excellent opportunity to become a leader in the industry. The need for data centers is now growing significantly, and in the current global situation, it is in the interest of all of us internet users that information about us can be processed securely on servers located in Finland."

Founded in 2019, Helios Nordic Energy has built a portfolio of more than 100 solar projects across the Nordics, with the company acquired by French infrastructure group VINCI in 2024. The Tervola project follows two other recently announced Finnish data center developments: a 500MW facility in Lapinlahti, central Finland, and a separate site in Iisalmi, a town located about 26 kilometers north of Lappeenranta. Together, these projects underscore Helios' rapid transition from renewable generation into digital infrastructure development.

Tervola Mayor Mika Simoska welcomed the proposal, noting the local benefits: "Tervola has established itself as a bio-municipality in Lapland, where renewable energy is produced and utilized. It is great that Helios has initiated the planning of a data center project for our municipality. This way, renewable energy produced in Tervola and the surrounding area can be utilized locally. The project is a positive boost to the regional economy, bringing diverse growth effects."

The development comes as Finland's data center market gains momentum, driven by growing demand for AI and cloud services, as well as Europe's broader push for digital sovereignty. Helios' model of pairing renewable energy projects with data center development could become a template for other Nordic energy firms looking to capitalize on the region's competitive advantages in power availability and cooling efficiency.