Pure Data Centres Group has launched what will become one of Finland’s largest ever inward investment projects, and the largest ever by a UK company.
Phase 1 will see investment of over £1.3 billion for a 110MW AI campus, with the site in Seinäjoki capable of scaling to a £6.4bn, 550MW+ campus for AI workloads, subject to the necessary permissions and contracting.
The full Seinäjoki campus will be one of Europe’s largest ever AI infrastructure projects, helping to put Finland at the forefront of Europe’s AI transition. It will have the capacity to play a pivotal role in supporting the region’s reskilling, education, entrepreneurship, digital growth and energy resilience.
In collaboration with its local partner, SDC Ventures, the development will provide over 3,000 jobs during the decade-long construction, driving demand for skilled roles and utilising local companies wherever possible. The project will also improve local electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.
Designated SJK01, the full campus is set within 370 acres and targeted to support over 550MW of IT capacity for mass-scale AI and machine learning workloads. With access to more than 700MVA of renewable power, the campus benefits from exceptionally low energy costs and a highly stable grid.
The development strategy is based on repeatable 40MW ‘AI-ready’ modules, built with Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) to support the high-density thermal demands of next-generation hardware.
“I am delighted by this major UK investment into Pure DC’s new site in Seinäjoki – the largest yet by a UK company in Finland,” said Laura Davies, British Ambassador to Finland.
“It’s an example of the growing role of UK companies in financing and delivering digital infrastructure across Europe, which is a key component of building our shared data sovereignty.
“Not only will this AI data centre campus become one of Finland’s largest inward investment projects, but it will be a critical enabler of scientific excellence, and provide a platform to develop industrial competitiveness, and sovereign capability.
“Side by side in the top ten of the Global Innovation Index, the UK and Finland already lead the way on AI and AI security, and this kind of world-class compute infrastructure will further support our ability to shape the future of AI for the better.”
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High density data halls will be developed which are based on a modular design for efficiency, predictability and speed of delivery. The data halls will offer flexibility for future customer requirements, offering either air-cooled or liquid-cooled solutions. Both cooling approaches use closed-loop systems maintaining zero water use in operation.
“Countries building AI infrastructure over the next decade will shape the global economy for the next 50 years,” said Gary Wojtaszek, executive chairman & interim CEO of Pure DC.
“Finland has all the ingredients required to lead this transformation – world class engineering talent, abundant renewable energy and a culture of innovation that gave rise to Nokia.
“We are not building data centres in Seinäjoki. Together with our partners, including the Seinäjoki Municipality, we are helping create one of Europe’s most important AI ecosystems capable of supporting global tech leaders as well as the next generation of Finnish entrepreneurs and innovators.”
Pure DC is developing a long-term skills pipeline through collaboration with Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences and vocational institutions. It aims to provide specialist skills training with a path to immediate post qualification employment, helping to reskill an area of Finland traditionally associated with forestry and paper-milling.
SJK01 will also deploy waste heat management, allowing for district heating programmes.