Data Centres

Data Centres

Finland’s position as a preferred location for large-scale data centres creates significant opportunities for investors and developers. Our team’s comprehensive understanding of the Nordic data centre market, combined with our track record in landmark digital infrastructure projects, positions us as your trusted advisor in realising these opportunities.

Our multi-disciplinary team advises and works alongside leading data centre developers, investors, technology companies and energy providers to deliver successful outcomes in this rapidly expanding sector. We combine deep market knowledge with practical, solution-oriented advice that addresses the unique challenges of digital infrastructure projects while balancing commercial objectives with regulatory requirements.

Data centre projects require sophisticated coordination across multiple legal disciplines. Our integrated full-service approach draws on the firm’s leading expertise in real estate transactions, environmental and energy law, construction and projects, financing, and commercial contracting. This collaborative model ensures seamless service delivery and comprehensive risk management across all project phases.

Our experts guide clients throughout the project lifecycle, from initial site sourcing and land acquisition to environmental permitting, construction, and grid connection and power purchase arrangements. We handle complex regulatory frameworks on behalf of our clients, enabling them to focus on core business objectives while we manage the legal pathway to operational data centres.

We advise on:

  • Site identification, real estate due diligence and land transactions
  • Grid connection processes and power infrastructure agreements
  • Power purchase agreements (PPAs) and renewable energy arrangements
  • Environmental impact assessments and permitting strategies
  • Planning and zoning matters
  • Construction contracts and contractor arrangements
  • Data centre service agreements and customer contracts
  • Project finance, debt facilities and structured financing solutions
  • Joint ventures and partnership structures
  • Regulatory compliance and strategic advice on legislative developments

Latest references

Castrén & Snellman advised Nscale, a European AI infrastructure company, in connection with its planned data centre project in Harjavalta, Finland. The facility will be located in the Sievari industrial area. Castrén & Snellman’s advisory role encompassed the negotiation and execution of a site securing and development agreement (SSDA) with Fortum, as well as the preliminary land sale process for the Sievari site with the Town of Harjavalta. Under the SSDA, Fortum supports the advancement of Nscale’s project development, including grid connection design and permitting.
Case published 15.4.2026
We advised a leading global investment firm Brookfield, alongside a global sovereign wealth investor, on the Finnish law aspects of a EUR 1 billion holdco financing for DayOne Data Centers, a Singapore-headquartered developer and operator of hyperscale data centres. Structured as a seven-year secured holdco financing facility of €500 million, expandable to €1 billion – and secured by DayOne’s Finland platform – the financing will support the rollout of hyperscale developments in Lahti and Kouvola, providing nearly 300MW of planned capacity across Finland. The proceeds will also support DayOne’s global expansion across the EU and APAC, with flexibility to allocate to other key growth markets as required.
Case published 29.1.2026
We are assisting the Municipality of Tuusula in the sale of land to funds managed by Blackstone, a global asset management company, for a data centre project. Currently, a preliminary agreement has been signed for the sale of the approximately 16.7 hectare site in Jokela, Tuusula. In October 2025, the Municipal Council of Tuusula approved zoning amendments that enable the construction of a data centre campus in the Vallunlenkki zoning area. The preliminary agreement on the sale of the land and the approval of the zoning are the first steps in a process that would upon its implementation constitute a significant investment that supports employment and economic growth in Tuusula and its surroundings. The next phase, the environmental impact assessment, is planned to commence in early 2026. Blackstone owns QTS, one of the worlds’s fastest growing data centre platforms with more than 82 data centres in operation or under development across Europe and the United States.
Case published 4.12.2025
We are assisting Verne Global Ltd, the leading provider of sustainably powered HPC data centres in the Nordics, in developing a data centre in Mäntsälä, Finland. We advised Verne in acquiring the real estate company managing the Mäntsälä site, as well as in the subsequent acquisition of the site itself. Our assistance extends beyond real estate transactions to include permitting and tax-related matters. Additionally, we advise Verne on grid connection and electricity supply matters. The acquisition of the project site in Mäntsälä marks Verne’s fourth data centre in Finland, reinforcing its position as a leader in sustainable and scalable data centre solutions. The Mäntsälä campus, spanning 10 hectares and located just a 40-minute drive from Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, will initially offer a capacity of 70 MW. The facility is designed to support data-intensive enterprises and AI innovators running HPC, machine learning, and other high-intensity workloads, all while operating exclusively on renewable energy. Verne’s new facility will adhere to the company’s best practice design principles, focusing on maximizing efficiency and minimizing environmental impact. The campus will be powered entirely by renewable energy sources, and waste heat generated by the data center will be utilized for local community heating projects. The company is working closely with the Mäntsälä Municipality to ensure the new facility benefits the local area, including plans to harness waste heat for district heating. Construction of Verne’s Mäntsälä data centre is set to begin in mid-2025 and is expected to take two years to complete. This expansion is a strategic move in Verne’s long-term plan to build out its sustainably powered data centre platform, which was acquired by Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, in early 2024. Ardian has already invested over EUR 1.6 billion in the Nordics, focusing on energy transition and digital infrastructure projects, and is working with Verne to drive sustainable growth across the region.  Read Verne Global’s press release.
Case published 20.2.2025