Jun 23, 2026 | Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji
A 60MW data center is being planned in western Finland by renewable energy firm Aurinkokarhu. Reported by local media including Yle and Vasabladet, the project would be located in Närpiö (Närpes), in the Ostrobothnia region. The company has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire 18 hectares of land, some of which is owned by the City of Närpiö. It has also signed a letter of intent with Närpiön District Heating to reuse waste heat from the facility in the local district heating network.
Aurinkokarhus CEO Andreas Renfält said discussions are ongoing with potential investors and end users for the planned data center. Founded in 2020, the company focuses on solar and battery projects, with no operational sites yet. It claims a pipeline of around 800MW of solar capacity and 3.2GW of battery storage, along with 160MW of planned data center developments.
"The surplus heat from the data center can account for the majority of our district heating production. The collaboration ensures that we can offer competitive heating in the future. If the data center is realized, we will also not need the planned electric boiler," Markus Böling, CEO of Närpes Fjärrvärme, said.
