The Pulse
atNorth Plans Salo Data Center With Path to 230 MW
atNorth announced plans for FIN05, a data center in Salo, Finland, with a secured 75 MW first phase and a path to power of up to 230 MW. The company estimates its investment at about €2 billion and says customer servers and installation cou
AI.info Team · Written with AI ·
FIN05 starts with 75 MW secured
On October 5, atNorth announced plans to develop FIN05, a new data center on a 28.6-hectare site in Salo, Finland. The first phase is planned at 75 megawatts, and atNorth says the power for that phase is secured. The wider development has a path to power of up to 230 MW, with a connection planned through a Fingrid substation.
The distinction matters: 230 MW is the potential for the broader development, not the confirmed capacity of the first phase. atNorth’s announcement does not provide a construction schedule or an opening date. It presents Salo as a location for infrastructure serving customers with demanding connectivity and resilience requirements, citing the city’s proximity to Helsinki and Finland’s digital talent pool.
A €2 billion project, before customer servers
atNorth expects to invest about €2 billion in the Salo site. That estimate excludes customer-owned servers and their installation, which the company says could represent a further investment of up to €10 billion. The additional figure is a potential customer outlay, not part of atNorth’s stated project investment.
The company describes the project as part of its broader expansion across the Nordic region. Its announcement also names developments in Stockholm and Sollefteå in Sweden, Haugaland in Norway, Ølgod in Denmark and Kouvola in Finland. It gives no construction timetable for FIN05 or a breakdown of how the estimated investment would be spent.
Power plans extend beyond the grid connection
Alongside the Fingrid connection, atNorth says it plans to enter long-term power purchase agreements with local energy suppliers. The company says those agreements would support energy production in the region. It is also considering flexibility solutions that could support the efficient operation of Fingrid’s transmission grid; the announcement does not specify what those arrangements would involve.
Heat reuse is another part of the plan. atNorth says it will work with local stakeholders to explore uses for heat generated by the data center, but it names no Salo partner or heat customer. The company points to existing heat-reuse collaborations with Kesko Corporation in Finland, Stockholm Exergi in Sweden, and Vestforbrænding and Selected Group in Denmark.
Salo points to jobs and local business
Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, atNorth’s chief executive, said the project could combine digital infrastructure with regional partnerships. “We are exploring how local energy partnerships, flexibility solutions and heat reuse can contribute to the wider energy system and community.”
Anna-Kristiina Korhonen, mayor of Salo, said the development would create employment during construction and operations and bring economic benefits to local businesses. Those are expected benefits described by the mayor; atNorth’s announcement does not give a job count. The plan’s immediate measurable commitments are narrower: a 28.6-hectare site, a 75 MW first phase with power secured, and a longer-term path to as much as 230 MW.