Google signs 20-year deal for electricity from Finland’s Loviisa nuclear plant

Google has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Finnish energy company Fortum that will secure electricity from the Loviisa nuclear power plant through the middle of the century, providing financial support for the facility’s planned lifetime extension. The agreement covers up to 50% of Loviisa’s capacity and comes as Google prepares to invest €13 billion ($15 billion) in data centers and supporting infrastructure in Finland during 2027 and 2028. The power purchase agreement will begin in 2028 at a reduced capacity before covering 50% of the plant’s output from 2030 through 2049. Google backs Loviisa’s life extension Loviisa consists of two VVER-440 pressurized water reactors. Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1977, followed by Unit 2 in 1981. The plant currently supplies more than 10% of Finland’s electricity. In 2023, the Finnish government extended Fortum’s operating licenses for both reactors through the end of 2050. Fortum is now undertaking an investment program of about €1 billion to extend the plant’s operating life. The company said around 80% of the projects required for the extension, representing approximately €700 million, still lack investment decisions. According to World Nuclear News, the agreement with Google is intended to provide a predictable revenue stream that can support those investments. The deal also supports additional generating capacity at Loviisa. A 38 MWe capacity increase is already underway and is expected to be completed in 2028, while the agreement is expected to enable another 10 MWe increase. Fortum said keeping the reactors operating for the coming decades would help maintain fossil-free electricity generation while supporting the resilience of Finland’s electricity grid. Data center demand meets nuclear power The agreement comes as Google expands its Finnish infrastructure, including its data center in Hamina. Google said maintaining Loviisa’s nuclear generation would help preserve access to reliable and affordable electricity for Finnish households, businesses and industry. The company also said it would work with Fortum to explore potential opportunities for new nuclear reactors at Loviisa. The two companies have separately signed a memorandum of understanding covering potential cooperation on new nuclear power, renewable generation and electricity-system flexibility. That collaboration highlights a growing challenge for technology companies: expanding data centers and AI services require large amounts of reliable electricity, while companies are increasingly seeking low-carbon sources that can provide power around the clock. Google and Fortum are also exploring flexible power solutions. As part of that effort, Fortum has agreed with Google to optimize a 94 MW battery storage system planned for Google’s data center in Kajaani. The companies are additionally examining potential business models for new nuclear generation and whether Fortum-owned sites with grid connections could support future Google data centers. Fortum has previously said that new nuclear projects would require strong customer demand secured through long-term power purchase agreements, strategic partners, appropriate financing and risk-sharing arrangements. The latest agreement therefore goes beyond securing electricity for Google. It could help provide the long-term commercial certainty needed to keep Finland’s existing nuclear capacity operating while the country considers how to build additional low-carbon generation for rising electricity demand.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Kaif Shaikh is a journalist and writer passionate about turning complex information into clear, impactful stories. His writing covers technology, sustainability, geopolitics, and occasionally fiction. A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, his work has appeared in the Times of India and beyond. After a near-fatal experience, Kaif began seeing both stories and silences differently. Outside work, he juggles far too many projects and passions, but always makes time to read, reflect, and hold onto the thread of wonder.