Understanding Microsoft datacenters in Finland

Datacenters are part of everyday life

Essential for modern technology, datacenters power everything from online grocery shopping, online banking, and remote work to scheduling medical appointments and staying connected with family and friends. Datacenters also support businesses, hospitals, schools, and governments.

Imagine a building packed with thousands of computer servers and data storage devices, all connected to the internet—that’s a datacenter, working tirelessly to keep our lives connected and efficient.

Datacenters enable innovation and enhance productivity in today’s digital age. Take a virtual step inside.

Learn key facts about Microsoft’s approach for building and operating datacenters in Finland

We believe that companies that can do more, should. That’s why we remain focused on key areas in which technology can and must benefit the future of humanity and our planet.

Aligned with Microsoft’s global commitments, our datacenter community pledge is to build and operate digital infrastructure that addresses community challenges and creates local benefits where we operate and where our employees live and work.

We pledge to…

• Contribute to a sustainable future
• Advance community prosperity and well-being
• Operate responsibly as a good neighbor

We will design and operate our datacenters to support society’s climate goals and become carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste before 2030. Additionally, Microsoft pursues LEED Gold certification for newly built datacenters.

Energy

Microsoft is committed to have 100% renewable energy coverage globally by 2025.

In Finland, our datacenters will be designed for our backup generators to be powered by a renewable biofuel that reduces net carbon emissions.

Watch this video to learn how Microsoft datacenters are helping pave the way for a sustainable future

Water

Microsoft is committed to being water positive by 2030. We continue to scale our efforts to reduce water use across our operations, while increasing procurement from alternative sources and investing in innovative replenishment and access projects.

Our facilities in Finland will use direct evaporative cooling, which uses water for cooling less than 5% of the year. Read more about transforming datacenter water efficiency.

Watch this video about our other datacenters that use water for cooling.

Waste

Microsoft datacenters in Finland and other locations renewed zero-waste certification through the UL’s Zero Waste to Landfill program.

Our datacenter waste heat will be recovered and utilized in district heating, serving Kirkkonummi, Espoo, and Kauniainen in what to date will be the world’s largest scheme to recycle waste heat from datacenters.

Datacenter waste heat reuse will help reduce 400,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and cover 40% of the annual needs of 250,000 households in the district heating network.
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We will deliver significant local, economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Jobs

We estimate construction of the new datacenters will take around 7.9 million work hours and thousands of jobs during peak construction and will create hundreds of highly skilled technology jobs once in operation.

Datacenter investment accelerates the ICT economy in the area, creating direct and indirect economic value.

Skilling opportunities

• Build the skills to work at our Microsoft datacenters
• Understanding Microsoft datacenter jobs in your community

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Watch this video to learn more about our approach to community investments.

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In all we do, Microsoft strives to be a responsible neighbor.

We listen, learn, build relationships, and follow through on our commitments. Microsoft partners with nonprofits and suppliers who share our commitment to expand opportunities for all.

And to be a good neighbor, we want to keep you in the loop. Visit our Finland community blog to stay informed.

Microsoft supports local communities through our grants to organizations like Save the Children and Tieke, for projects like school groups’ visits to the Heureka Science Center. We look to collaborate more with local organizations in the future.