HELSINKI, July 14 (Xinhua) -- British data center operator Pure Data Centres Group (Pure DC) has launched the first phase of a planned artificial intelligence (AI) data center campus in the western Finnish city of Seinajoki, with investment in the full project potentially exceeding 7.5 billion euros (about 8.57 billion U.S. dollars), the city announced on Tuesday.
The city described the development as Pure DC's largest project to date and the largest single investment ever made in Finland by a British company.
The first phase represents an investment of more than 1.5 billion euros (1.71 billion dollars) and will comprise a 110-megawatt (MW) data center complex.
Pure DC said the entire capacity of the first phase had already been leased. The required permits and power-grid arrangements are in place, while the substation serving the first data hall has been completed and is operational.
Known as SJK01, the campus will be developed with Finnish partner SDC Ventures on a site covering about 150 hectares. If fully built, it is expected to have a capacity of more than 550 MW and rank among Europe's largest data center complexes designed for AI and high-performance computing.
The first phase is expected to create more than 1,500 construction jobs, while the full development could support more than 3,000 jobs over an estimated 10-year construction period, the city said.
"This is a significant investment that strengthens Seinajoki's position as a destination for new investment," Seinajoki Mayor Jaakko Kiiskila said, adding that the project would increase demand across several industries and support education and skills development in the region.
The city noted the project would further strengthen Finland's position as a European destination for AI and data center investment.
Finland has been seeking a larger role in Europe's AI and high-performance computing infrastructure. The country already hosts the LUMI supercomputer in Kajaani, northern Finland. The facility has a sustained computing performance of about 380 petaflops and has supported more than 4,600 academic and industrial projects, with more than half of its computing resources used for AI-related research and innovation.
Finland is also developing the LUMI AI Factory and an AI-optimized successor to the supercomputer, which is expected to become available to researchers and companies by 2027. A government roadmap released in November 2025 called for prioritizing data center projects that create jobs, generate tax revenue and foster innovation, while managing their impact on the power system, the environment and national security. ■
