The investment amounts to €1.2 billion and is a significant investment for DayOne, a Singapore-based global data centre developer and operator.

The state-of-the-art hyperscale data centre is designed to reinforce the company’s commitment to advancing Finland’s digital infrastructure, with construction to commence with site demolition in Q3 2025 and operations ready for service by 2027.

Located in Lahti, in the neighbourhood of Kiveriö, the data centre project aims to transform a former industrial site into an advanced, high-performance digital infrastructure facility.

Key facts about the new data centre:

• Site spans 98,901, fully zoned for industrial usage
• Total potential capacity of 128 megawatts (MW) IT load
• Project comprises a first building of 50MW IT load

DayOne says the data centre campus has been designed with minimal disruption to neighbouring areas and aligns with long-term sustainable land-use goals. Facilities are also being designed to aim for LEED Gold certification or higher.

Additionally, DayOne is collaborating with local engineering firms to fully leverage Finland’s naturally cool climate for free cooling and further enhance energy efficiency and sustainability in its operations. This is very welcome, given that Lahti is a critical part of the growth and development of the international data economy.

“The data centre to be built in Lahti is designed to handle large-scale data processing, enabling the creation of a strong digital ecosystem,” says Niko Kyynäräinen, mayor of Lahti. “In addition to the location, cool climate, clean energy and stable conditions, Lahti’s investment environment once again proved to be a winning operational model.”

Also eager to strengthen local energy grid resilience, DayOne has entered into a power connection agreement with Lahti Energy. Having set up partnerships with both Lahti Energy and the city of Lahti, DayOne considers itself very aligned with Lahti’s sustainability and circular economy goals.

For one thing, the company has been exploring waste heat reusing and integrating its data centre into the local district heating system. Reinforcing the project’s commitment to resource conservation, the facility will utilise air cool chiller technology and eliminate the need for freshwater cooling.

“Finland is an ideal strategic choice for our European growth,” says Jamie Khoo, CEO of DayOne Data Centers. “With its reliable energy infrastructure, renewable energy leadership, highly skilled workforce and naturally favourable climate that significantly reduces energy consumption and operational costs, Finland offers unique advantages that align perfectly with our commitment to sustainable digital infrastructure.

“Recognised as European Green Capital 2021, Lahti is advancing towards carbon neutrality, making it a natural fit with DayOne’s sustainability goals. We are proud to invest €1.2 billion on Lahti project into the Finnish economy and collaborate closely with Lahti to drive local innovation and sustainability.”

DayOne is ultimately aiming to significantly bolster Lahti’s digital economy through this investment, while also contributing to job creation in the city and across the whole of Finland. The project is expected to support a progressive ramp-up of 100 direct skilled positions and employ 1,000 construction workers onsite at its peak.

Alongside this, DayOne is investing in local educational institutions, including a commitment of €2.5 million to LUT Universities as outlined in the agreement. This agreement aims for cooperation to advance Lahti’s carbon neutrality goals, strengthening the local business, IT education ecosystems and fostering talent development.

Key areas of collaboration include integrating local companies into the data centre’s development and operations, innovating waste heat utilisation solutions and aligning educational pathways with industry needs through joint R&D, student internships and faculty engagement.

Khoo adds: “The city offers robust government support and a thriving clean-tech ecosystem – providing an ideal environment for advanced, low-carbon digital infrastructure.

“As we build our presence in Lahti, we are eager to explore meaningful ways to work with the community, especially those who share our vision for digital advancement and environmental responsibility.”

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