A new player in Europe’s data infrastructure scene is staking its claim in Finland, and it’s doing so with quiet confidence and megawatt-level ambition. Polarnode, a Finnish data center developer founded by former renewable energy professionals, has unveiled plans for six industrial-scale projects totaling over 500 megawatts in capacity. The move aims to carve out Finland’s place as a critical hub for sustainable digital infrastructure in Europe.
Two major projects—one in the coastal city of Pori and another in Heinola, in southern Finland—have reached advanced planning stages. In Pori, the company is finalizing a land deal to construct a 100MW data center on a 26-hectare site in Honkaluoto. Polarnode’s 40MW Heinola project is progressing, albeit at a measured pace, with formal agreements currently under negotiation between the company and municipal authorities. Not exactly lightning speed, but that’s par for the course with public-private collaborations.
Finland makes sense from an operational standpoint. The country’s cool climate reduces cooling overhead, renewable energy is plentiful, and the regulatory landscape is both stable and predictable. Polarnode’s executive team—drawing heavily from Ilmatar’s renewables expertise—brings a sustainability-focused mindset to what’s usually a high-energy-consumption sector. In other words, they’re not just chasing compute power; long-term environmental objectives are actually in the blueprint.
Mikko Toivanen, chair of Polarnode’s board, explained, “We’re embedding digital infrastructure into the local economy, not just landing it there.” That’s a notable shift. Across Europe, local governments and stakeholders are increasingly insistent that data center developments don’t just draw power—they need to deliver tangible value to the community, too. This approach isn’t just PR spin; it’s rapidly becoming standard operating procedure.
Projects are also moving forward in Lappeenranta and Nokia, and additional locations are under evaluation. While many stakeholders focus on hyperscalers in central and western Europe, Polarnode positions Finland not just as a cold-weather haven for servers, but as a strategic foundation for Europe’s digital future.
