atNorth plans FIN05 data center in Salo, Finland, with route up to 230 MW – Unite.AI

Nordic data center operator atNorth on October 5, 2026 announced plans to develop FIN05, a new data center in Salo, Finland. The company plans to invest around €2 billion in the 28.6-hectare site, where power will be secured for a planned first phase of 75 MW, with a path up to 230 MW for larger development.

Site specifications and investment plans

atNorth said Salo offers a strong position for critical infrastructure serving customers with demanding connectivity and resilience requirements. The company cited the city’s proximity to Helsinki and Finland’s digital talent pool as additional factors supporting the development, and framed FIN05 as part of its ongoing goal to meet demand for high-performance digital infrastructure in what it described as a responsible manner.

The site will be connected via a Fingrid substation. The company’s planned €2 billion investment does not include customer-owned servers or their installation, which North estimates could represent an additional investment of up to €10 billion.

The company plans to enter into long-term power purchase agreements with local energy suppliers to support power generation in the region, along with flexibility solutions which it believes could support the efficient operation of Fingrid’s transmission network. atNorth will also work with local stakeholders to explore opportunities for using the heat generated by the data center, which the company says is set to help create value beyond the facility itself. This effort builds on existing heat reuse collaborations with Kesko Corporation in Finland, Stockholm Exergi in Sweden, and Vestforbrænding and Selected Group in Denmark.

Statements from atNorth and local partners

“FIN05 represents an opportunity to develop critical digital infrastructure while collaborating with the region to create lasting local value,” said Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO of atNorth. He said the company is exploring how local energy partnerships, flexibility solutions and heat reuse can contribute to the broader energy system and community, and looks forward to working with Salo and regional partners as the project develops.

Anna-Kristiina Korhonen, mayor of Salo, said she was pleased to welcome the investment to the region. He said the new data center will create valuable employment opportunities both during construction and ongoing operations, while generating wider economic benefits for local businesses, adding that the development strengthens Salo’s position as an attractive destination for innovative industries and supports long-term sustainable growth for the community.

Matti-Juho Ervasti, partner at Regant Oy, said the project demonstrates Salo’s potential as a location for major investments in digital infrastructure. He said Regant has worked closely with atNorth and the municipality to deliver a development-ready site with the scale, planning and energy roadmap needed for large data center projects.

Nordic pipeline and property context

atNorth described FIN05 as part of its ongoing investment in the Nordics, alongside developments in Stockholm and Sollefteå in Sweden, Haugaland in Norway, Ølgod in Denmark and Kouvola in Finland.

The Kouvola project, FIN04, was announced in December 2023 as a mega site on 21 hectares of land 139 km north-east of Helsinki and 52 km from the city of Hamina, targeting both colocation customers and build-to-suit projects. atNorth said at the time that FIN04 would have an immediate electricity supply of 60 MW, a first phase ready for use in the second half of 2025 and a power pipeline of several hundred megawatts once fully built, describing it as the company’s tenth data center in the Nordics and its fourth campus in Finland. In collaboration with the city of Kouvola and energy partner KSS Energia, the site was designed with heat reuse capabilities that allow excess heat from the data center to be recycled for possible reuse within the local community.

The Salo project also follows the change in ownership of atNorth. CPP Investments and Equinix completed their $4 billion acquisition of atNorth on September 2, 2026, with CPP Investments holding an approx. Controlling stake of 51% of a $1.3 billion commitment, Equinix holds approx. 34% of an $895 million commitment and Partners Group holds approx. 10% of a $260 million commitment. The remainder is held by atNorth’s internal stakeholders, who have invested a substantial portion of their capital. The transaction involved a $4.1 billion (€3.6 billion) financing package underwritten by a group of European and Canadian lenders, and atNorth continues to operate independently under its existing brand.