Nscale and Fortum Partner to Develop New Data Center in Harjavalta, Finland
April 7, 2026
The Nordic data center market continues to attract significant investment as operators seek regions with abundant renewable energy and favorable conditions for sustainable, high-density computing. In a move that underscores this trend, European data center developer Neocloud Nscale has announced a partnership with Finnish energy company Fortum to develop a new data center facility in Finland.
The project will be situated in the Sievari industrial area in Harjavalta, on land owned by the local municipality. Fortum, which has been planning the site's development since signing a planning reservation agreement with Harjavalta in June 2024, will act as the site development partner, providing support for zoning, grid connections, and marketing. Nscale is currently in discussions with the Town for a preliminary land sale. Specific details regarding the planned facility's power capacity and physical size were not disclosed.
The partnership aligns with the strategic goals of both companies. Jyrki Holappa, Fortum's customer site development director, stated, "This cooperation reflects our broader strategy to enable low-carbon growth by providing customers with the right conditions to build scalable, sustainable operations in Finland. These types of projects play a key role in driving electrification and digitalization in our societies."
For Nscale, Finland represents a strategic foothold. Markus Päivinen, Nscale’s managing director for Finland and Baltics, noted, "The Nordic market, and Finland specifically, offers unique advantages that align perfectly with our commitment to sustainable, high-density infrastructure. We look forward to contributing to the local economy, collaborating with local energy providers, and delivering cutting-edge compute capacity that will fuel the next generation of digital services in Finland and throughout Europe."
This project is part of a broader expansion for both entities. Fortum is actively developing several other data center sites across Finland, including a campus in Pennala and targeting locations in Rauma, Klaukkala, and Jyväskylä. Nscale, bolstered by a recent $2 billion Series C funding round and reported IPO plans, is rapidly scaling its footprint. Through a joint venture with Aker, it has acquired land in Norway for major projects, including a planned 250MW facility in Narvik and a 230MW data center in Kvandal.
The company also operates a 30MW site in Glomfjord, Norway, with plans to double its capacity to 60MW, and has secured a 15MW lease in Iceland. Beyond Europe, Nscale has ambitious plans in the United States, having acquired a site in West Virginia with a potential capacity of up to 8GW and securing 40MW of capacity in North Carolina.
Source: datacenterdynamics
