Google pays publishers for AI answers
Benedikt Langer
4 min read Google's “AI contribution pilot” pays around 100 digital publishers for the extent to ...
Read Article
4 Min. Read Time
Fortum and Google signed a 22-year power agreement on September 9, 2026. Starting in 2028, Google will source electricity from the Loviisa nuclear power plant and use it for its Finnish data centers. The revenue will help Fortum fund operations until 2050, as €700 million of its investment program remains undecided.
Key Takeaways
- Fortum plans to keep Loviisa operational until 2050 with Google as its buyer. Without the investment program extending its lifespan, the facility would no longer be economically viable after 2030.
- Google will invest at least €13 billion in Finland by 2027 and 2028. Beyond its existing Hamina location, the company has named Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala as potential sites.
- Google will take up to half of Loviisa’s capacity between 2030 and 2049. Initial deliveries begin in 2028 with smaller volumes.
- Fortum still needs to approve €700 million. The total investment program for Loviisa’s extended operation amounts to roughly €1 billion by 2050. Revenue from the Google deal will help secure the remaining approvals.
What is Google’s power purchase agreement at Loviisa? Starting in 2028, Fortum will supply Google with electricity from Finland’s Loviisa nuclear plant under a 22-year contract. Google will take up to half the plant’s capacity from 2030 to 2049. While ownership remains with Fortum, Google secures long-term power for its data centers.
RelatedSLB Acquires Kelvion: €3.5 Billion for AI Cooling / Nvidia Locks in Lease: €30 Billion in Compute for Anthropic
Fortum’s CEO Markus Rauramo and Aris Karcanias, Google’s head of energy for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, announced the power deal on September 9, 2026, in a Fortum press release. Fortum needs a long-term buyer to sustain operations, while Google requires reliable power-even during Finland’s harsh winters. Loviisa is located just 55 kilometers from Google’s existing Hamina data center.
Loviisa Powers 10% of Finland’s Electricity
According to Fortum, Loviisa supplies around 10% of Finland’s electricity, employing roughly 580 staff. The company states that without the investment program extending its operational life, the plant would become uneconomical after 2030.
The original operating licenses for the two reactors expire in 2027 and 2030. While Finland has already granted Fortum a new permit until the end of 2050, the financial viability of the investments remained the key question.
Karcanias notes that the agreement secures a critical energy source for the grid, reducing risks if significant power outages occur in southern Finland.
Google commits €13 billion to four Finnish locations
Google has pledged €13 billion for digital infrastructure, clean energy, and partnerships in Finland, covering the years 2027 and 2028. The tech giant calls this its largest single investment in Europe.
A data center has operated in Hamina for 15 years, repurposed from an old paper mill. Google has also named Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala as additional sites for its Finnish infrastructure.
During the construction phase at these locations, Google estimates over 37,000 jobs and an annual contribution of €3.6 billion to Finland’s GDP.
Up to half of Loviisa’s capacity, €700 million pending
The power contract begins in 2028 below the later peak capacity. From 2030 to 2049, Google plans to consume up to half of Loviisa’s capacity-only then will Fortum achieve the return it expects from the aging plant.
Fortum values its investment program for extending Loviisa’s operational life at around €1 billion by 2050. Subject to approval, the company still has €700 million in planned expenditures and roughly 80 percent of individual projects pending. Fortum intends to finance these decisions with revenues from the Google contract.
The agreement also enables a 10-megawatt capacity increase, which Fortum attributes to Google’s business.
Additionally, a modernization effort of about 38 megawatts is already underway, with Fortum targeting completion in 2028.
629 MW of new wind power and a battery in Kajaani
Google is purchasing electricity from two additional onshore wind projects operated by Valorem and Suomen Hyötytuuli. This brings Google’s contracted new wind power capacity in Finland to 629 megawatts. A 94-megawatt battery system will also be installed near the new data center in Kajaani, scheduled for late 2027.
Fortum will manage the battery’s deployment in the energy market. The two companies have also signed a memorandum of understanding on new nuclear power, additional renewables, flexibility solutions, and the use of Fortum’s sites for potential future data centers. Whether this leads to new reactors in Loviisa remains undecided-no construction decision has been made.
Rauramo states the contract meets Fortum’s long-term profitability requirements and makes the aging plant’s business more predictable. Google justifies the continued operation by guaranteeing secure power for households, businesses, and industry. The Register calls it Google’s first long-term nuclear power offtake agreement in Europe. However, the €700 million pending funds and any reactor construction without a formal decision remain open questions.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Power contract duration | 22 years, starting 2028 |
| Google’s share of Loviisa | up to 50 percent from 2030 to 2049 |
| Google’s Finland investment | €13 billion for 2027 and 2028 |
| Fortum’s Loviisa program | around €1 billion, with €700 million pending |
Data based on Fortum’s Ad-hoc announcement from September 9, 2026, and Google’s blog post from the same day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Google announced in Finland?
Google is committing €13 billion over the years 2027 and 2028. The funds will go toward data centers, energy, and partnerships in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala. Google calls this its largest single investment in Europe.
What does the power agreement mean for Loviisa?
Fortum will sell Google electricity from its nuclear power plant, starting in 2028. From 2030 to 2049, Google can purchase up to half of the plant’s capacity. According to Fortum, Loviisa would not remain economically viable after 2030 without this extended operation program.
Will Google own the power plant afterward?
No. A long-term power purchase agreement buys kilowatt-hours over the years. The plant remains under Fortum’s ownership-Google simply purchases the electricity.
Are Fortum’s investments finalized?
Not yet. Of the roughly €1 billion, Fortum says €700 million remains conditional, covering about 80% of individual projects. The company plans to fund these decisions with revenue from the Google contract.
What else is included besides the nuclear plant?
Google will also buy power from two additional Finnish wind projects, increasing contracted new wind capacity in the country to 629 megawatts. This includes a 94-megawatt battery in Kajaani. Fortum and Google are also exploring new nuclear energy and additional sites, though no construction decision for new reactors has been made.
Read more on Digital Chiefs
Digital ChiefsNvidia Buys Hugging Face for Over 11 Billion EurosDigital ChiefsSAP Lets Joule Steer Robots Directly, Liability Still OpenDigital ChiefsChatGPT wants to read the MacMore from the MBF Media Network
cloudmagazin
mybusinessfuture
After Anthropic Outage: Half of All Companies Lack a Backup Plan
securitytoday
Image source: AI-generated (September 2026)
Translated from the German original using artificial intelligence. The German version is authoritative.
Also available in