atNorth announced plans on October 5, 2026 to build FIN05, a new data center in Salo, Finland, with 75 MW of power secured for the first phase and a path to 230 MW for the full development. The Nordic operator expects to invest approximately €2 billion in the 28.6-hectare site, excluding customer servers that could add up to €10 billion more. The project matters for business because it adds another large-scale, high-performance site in Northern Europe designed for demanding connectivity and resilience requirements.
Power, site and backing for FIN05 in Salo
The first phase centers on a 28.6-hectare plot where power for 75 MW is already secured, giving the project a defined starting point before scaling toward 230 MW. The site will connect through a Fingrid substation, which positions the facility inside Finland's national transmission system rather than a isolated local feed. atNorth plans long-term power purchase agreements with local energy suppliers to support regional energy production, plus flexibility solutions intended to support efficient operation of Fingrid's grid. That combination of secured capacity, grid connection and contracted supply forms the commercial foundation of the development.
The technical concept extends beyond power procurement to integration with the local energy system through heat reuse. atNorth said it will work with local stakeholders to explore uses for heat generated by the data center, aiming to create value beyond the facility itself. The approach builds on existing collaborations with Kesko Corporation in Finland, Stockholm Exergi in Sweden, and Vestforbrænding and Selected Group in Denmark. CEO Eyjolfur Magnus Kristinsson described FIN05 as an opportunity to develop critical digital infrastructure while creating lasting local value through energy partnerships, flexibility and heat reuse. The design therefore treats waste heat as a resource for the community, not only an operating byproduct.
FIN05 continues atNorth's expansion across the Nordics, alongside developments in Stockholm and Solleftea in Sweden, Haugaland in Norway, Olgod in Denmark and Kouvola in Finland. The Kouvola project, FIN04, was announced in December 2023 on a 21-hectare plot 139 km northeast of Helsinki and 52 km from Hamina, with 60 MW of immediate supply and a first phase planned for the second half of 2025. That campus was described as the company's tenth data center in the Nordics and fourth in Finland, serving colocation and build-to-suit customers with a path to several hundred megawatts. Developed with the city of Kouvola and KSS Energia, it also included heat reuse capabilities for possible community use, showing a consistent template now applied in Salo.
What the Salo expansion means for business
For companies running AI and data-intensive workloads, FIN05 signals more high-density capacity in Finland with proximity to Helsinki and access to the country's digital talent pool. Salo is presented as a location for critical infrastructure with strong connectivity and resilience, which suits training, inference and enterprise systems that require stable operation. Small firms gain another colocation and build-to-suit option inside the Nordic market without building their own facility. Large customers get a site that can start at 75 MW and scale toward 230 MW, allowing phased growth on a single campus.
The ownership and financing structure behind the project affects supplier choice and long-term stability. CPP Investments and Equinix completed the US$4 billion acquisition of atNorth on September 2, 2026, with CPP Investments holding around 51% on a US$1.3 billion commitment, Equinix around 34% on US$895 million, and Partners Group around 10% on US$260 million. The remainder stayed with internal stakeholders who rolled over equity, while a US$4.1 billion financing package was underwritten by European and Canadian lenders. atNorth continues to operate independently under its existing brand. Customers should still verify timelines, power delivery milestones, service terms and heat-reuse obligations, since the announcement does not by itself guarantee construction dates or pricing.
A practical marker to watch is progress on power contracting and site readiness in Salo, including long-term purchase agreements and flexibility arrangements with Fingrid and local suppliers. Statements from Mayor Anna-Kristiina Korhonen and Regant Oy partner Matti-Juho Ervasti point to employment during construction and operations, plus planning readiness and a power roadmap. If atNorth moves from plans to signed energy contracts and a dated first-phase launch, the project will confirm additional Nordic capacity for high-performance infrastructure.
