City of Jyväskylä and Fortum partner to bring data centre to Jyväskylä

The aim of the partnership is to create a data centre complex of at least 20 hectares and employing between 150-200 people.

”Fortum is an excellent partner for us and has a strong international reputation among data centre operators. Billion-euro data centres create a significant number of direct and indirect jobs and tax revenue. Investments and projects of this size are rare, they require special operating conditions, which are being met in Jyväskylä,” says Director of Business Development Anne Sandelin, comparing the potential investment to Valmet’s Rautpohja mill and the papermill that operated in the Kangas area.

”The availability of a highly skilled workforce due to the location of its universities, the availability and security of the electricity grid, and Jyväskylä’s existing district heating network and the need to increase its carbon-neutral energy production are some of Jyväskylä’s attractive factors,” says Director Vesa Maso from Fortum. ”Driving the clean energy transition and decarbonisation of industries is one of Fortum’s strategic priorities, and, in this context, there is potential for development of a data centre or similar activity in Jyväskylä,” he adds.

The planning area in Seppälänkangas covers a total area of about 60 hectares, of which the actual need is for a plot of about 45 hectares, bordered between Yritystie road, Koilliskehä ring road reservation and nearby recreational areas.

Image

”The Seppälänkangas business park offers good potential for a data centre, and we are now exploring how large of an area can be made available for a data centre,” says Leena Rossi, Head of Urban Planning and Land Use. 

Studies are being conducted to clarify the boundary conditions for the siting of the data centre at the Seppälänkangas planning area; the studies will serve as input data for the zoning amendment that will be launched this autumn. 

Information on the planning process will be communicated to those living and working in the vicinity of the planning area. When the zoning process starts, an event will be organised to give people the opportunity to learn more about the plans and to discuss them with the project operators. To receive information on the progress of the planning process by e-mail, join the project mailing list: https://forms.office.com/e/4sXgqvKsNi.

Further information

City of Jyväskylä
- Anne Sandelin, Director of Business Development, tel. +358 40 581 9958, anne.sandelin[at]jyvaskyla.fi
- Leena Rossi, Head of Urban Planning and Land Use, tel. +358 40 741 9187, leena.rossi[at]jyvaskyla.fi

Fortum Corporation 
- Fortum newsdesk  tel. +358 40 198 2843, [email protected]