3Flash Finland Plans 480MW Data Centre with On-Site Power Generation in Lappeenranta

3Flash Finland, a Finnish developer focused on industrial-scale solar, green hydrogen, and energy storage projects, has unveiled plans to build a 480MW data centre at Huuhansuo in Lappeenranta, Finland, integrated with on-site solar generation, battery storage, and a gas engine power plant. The proposal arrives as Finland's data centre pipeline expands rapidly, raising questions about grid capacity and peak-hour electricity costs that the project is designed to address directly.

The project is structured to include up to 200MWp of solar generation, a battery energy storage facility with capacity of up to 320MW/2,560MWh, and a gas engine power plant capable of delivering up to 720MW. This on-site generation portfolio is intended to reduce the data centre's reliance on the electricity grid during periods of limited supply. The gas engines would be capable of starting within minutes when wind and solar output prove insufficient, and could operate using natural gas, biomethane, or hydrogen.

The data centre would occupy a site of up to approximately 105 hectares, with no lake or river water used for cooling. The final project scope will be determined through the environmental impact assessment and land-use planning processes, which will also evaluate a smaller development option. The plans were presented to local residents and landowners at Vilkjärvi village hall on Monday, 9 November 2026, with the EIA programme expected to be made available for public review at the end of November.

Miko Huomo, Chairman of the Board at 3Flash Finland, said: "Dozens of data centres are being planned in Finland, and many rightly ask whether there is enough electricity for everyone and who pays for the peak hours. At Huuhansuo, the answer is built into the project: the data centre brings its own balancing power. When electricity is in short supply, it does not take it from the grid at the expense of others. Here, the combination of a data centre and energy production is more than the sum of its parts."

The Huuhansuo site comprises former peat production land and commercial forest and is already zoned for energy production. Fingrid's Yllikkälä substation is located a few kilometres away, while a Gasgrid gas transmission pipeline runs alongside the site. Noise, water, nature, and landscape impacts will be assessed through the EIA process, with findings made publicly available. 3Flash Finland said it intends to keep noise levels at the nearest homes below permitted guideline values and will manage stormwater appropriately.

The Finnish Supervisory Agency will announce the EIA programme's public consultation period and a further public event. A master plan amendment and detailed local plan will also be prepared in cooperation with the City of Lappeenranta. The project aims to secure permits in 2028, with construction of the first phase potentially beginning in 2029 at the earliest. 3Flash Finland is developing the project towards permit readiness and is seeking a data centre operator and investor, with Arctic Securities acting as financial adviser and further project partners to be announced once agreements are finalised.