Nebius Expands European Footprint With 310 MW AI Data Center in Finland
In Focus
- The data center will be Nebius’ largest facility outside the U.S.
- Nebius will complete the facility in phases with initial capacity deployed starting in 2027
- The data center will cater for 10% of Nebius contracted capacity
Neocloud company Nebius is accelerating its expansion in Europe by developing a 310-megawatt data center in Finland. Once operational, the facility will be among the largest data centers in Europe. According to Reuters, Nebius’ Finland AI data center is estimated to cost over $10 billion and will be the 10th site for the Dutch company.
A Phased Development Approach
Nebius is constructing the data center in Lappeenranta, which is near Finland’s eastern border with Russia. The company says the facility will be completed in phases, with capacity expected to come online in phases starting 2027.
“We have been building in Finland for many years and are pleased to be expanding our presence here. Lappeenranta represents a significant addition to our global AI infrastructure build-out, and will make a significant contribution to achieving our capacity goals,” Nebius CEO, Arkady Volozh stated.
Nebius has contracted Finnish firm Polarnode to build the facility. The neocloud provider announced plans to build the $10 billion data center in Finland weeks after signing a $27 billion deal with Meta to supply AI computing capacity in multiple locations.
Growing AI Buildout in Europe
Nebius plans to build the largest data center in Europe at a time when other firms are eying the region. Recently, the company expanded the capacity of its first data center in Mantsala, Finland. Upon completion, the facility will be the largest Nebius facility outside the U.S.
On March 30, 2026, French startup Mistral AI accelerated AI infrastructure plans in the region with an $830 million debt fundraise. The funding will enable the AI firm to purchase 13,800 AI chips from Nvidia for its upcoming data center in Bruyeres-le-Chatel, near Paris.
In February, the AI startup launched a 1.2 billion euro plan to develop a second data center in Sweden even as it seeks to secure 200 megawatts of compute capacity across Europe by 2027.
Why is Nebius Building Data Centers in Finland?
Nebius plans continue expanding in Finland as part of its European AI strategy. The neocloud firm prefers to build data centers in Finland due to the country’s low energy prices and cool climate.
Finland also provides access to a renewable power supply, which helps in curbing cooling costs. For Nebius, Lappeenranta met all the requirements, including grid capacity and land availability.
“Lappeenranta offers an increasingly attractive environment for innovation, with our universities playing a key role in developing top talent tailored to the needs of high-tech industries. The new data center will position our city at the forefront of Finland’s AI ecosystem,” Lappeenranta Mayor, Tuomo Sallinen noted in his welcome statement.
Volozh added that the Lappeenranta facility will play a critical role in enabling Nebius to achieve its capacity goals, including securing over 3 gigawatts of contracted capacity by year’s end. At full capacity, the data center will cater to roughly 10% of Nebius contracted capacity.
