Sesterce Plans €10B AI Data Centre Campus at Former Finnish Paper Mill
French AI infrastructure company Sesterce plans to invest more than €10 billion in an AI data centre campus at a former paper mill in Jämsä, central Finland.
Campus Details:
- Location: Kaipola site, where UPM shut down its paper mill in early 2021.
- Initial Phase: 200 megawatts (MW) of capacity, starting construction this year.
- Future Expansion: A second phase would bring the total to 600MW.
- Long-term Goal: Build over 1 gigawatt of AI capacity on existing industrial sites.
Youssef El Manssouri, CEO of Sesterce, shared his vision:
"For more than six decades, the Kaipola mill produced paper for the world. Now, a new generation of industry is being planned for the site. Our goal is to preserve the area’s industrial identity while making use of existing infrastructure..."
Economic Impact:
- Jobs: Around 2,000 jobs during construction and approximately 300 permanent jobs once operational.
- Renewable Energy: Aim to add 1 megawatt of new renewable energy for every megawatt the campus uses.
- Local Fund: €10 million fund to support local projects.
Martti Inkovaara, Kaipola Green Port board chair, confirmed that negotiations for the site sale are underway. Jori Reijula, the Mayor of Jämsä, expressed enthusiasm while noting the need for permits.
This project follows significant AI investments in Finland, including Google's €13 billion plan and Nebius' data centre in Mäntsälä. Sesterce also has a similar project in France.