Southern power grid nearing capacity as data centre inquiries surge, says Fingrid

Finland’s electricity transmission grid in the south is reaching its limits due to an unprecedented wave of data centre connection requests, national grid operator Fingrid has warned.

Inquiries from data centres seeking to connect to the grid now exceed 50,000 megawatts—more than triple Finland’s current peak consumption of around 15,000 megawatts, according to Jussi Jyrinsalo, Fingrid’s director of grid planning.

“This is an insane figure,” Jyrinsalo told public broadcaster Yle, though he noted not all projects would materialise. Even if just 10% proceed, they would add roughly 5,000 megawatts—one-third of Finland’s peak demand—to the system.

Power surplus in the north, shortages in the south

Finland’s electricity production is concentrated along the west coast and in the north, where wind power and imports from Sweden during low-wind periods are readily available. However, major consumers—including data centres—prefer southern locations near Helsinki for logistics and infrastructure.

“Our hope is that large consumers would locate closer to strong wind production areas,” Jyrinsalo said. “That would eliminate the need to build hundreds of kilometres of new transmission lines.”

Current connection requests show demand scattered across southern Finland, he added, comparing the map to “a shotgun blast.”

€5.2 billion grid upgrade underway

Fingrid is executing its largest-ever investment programme, allocating €5.2 billion over the next decade to reinforce the grid. Key projects include the Lakeuslinja, a new high-voltage line from Ostrobothnia to the Helsinki region.

However, construction timelines are tight. A single transmission line typically takes 7–8 years to complete due to permitting and environmental assessments. Jyrinsalo noted that data centres ramp up consumption gradually, unlike industrial plants (such as steel mills) that immediately draw full capacity.

Risk of regional price zones

Finland currently operates as a single electricity price zone, meaning wholesale costs are uniform nationwide. But if grid constraints persist, Jyrinsalo warned the country may need to adopt regional pricing—similar to Sweden’s four-zone system—where southern areas could face higher costs than the north.