Scale42 will develop a new AI-ready data centre in Kitee’s Puhos industrial area, eastern Finland. Construction is targeted for 2026, with operations beginning in 2027–28.
The City of Kitee has agreed to sign a Preliminary Real Estate Sale and Purchase Agreement with Scale42 for a 10-hectare plot in the northern part of the Puhos industrial area. The site offers 10 MW available today, with capacity scalable to 200 MW via connection to Fingrid’s national grid — one of the cleanest electricity mixes in Europe.
The project is expected to create 50–100 permanent jobs during operations, in addition to construction-phase employment. It marks the first industrial-scale data centre development in the North Karelia region.
"Kitee is a place with deep industrial roots and pride. We want to help be a part of its next chapter, diversifying into the digital economy." — William Tasney, CEO, Scale42
For Kitee, the project arrives as the municipality’s Puhos area transitions from its forest-industry heritage toward higher-value technology sectors.
"This project offers a huge boost to our region through the creation of new jobs." — Pekka Hirvonen, Mayor of Kitee
Business Joensuu, the regional development agency supporting the deal, framed it as an inflection point for the wider region.
"This project marks an exciting milestone as the first industrial-scale data centre development in the North Karelia region." — Pauliina Pikkujämsä, Director, Business Joensuu
Scale42’s selection of Kitee reflects the broader thesis behind its 1.7 GW Nordic pipeline: industrial sites with strong existing grid infrastructure, low-cost renewable electricity, and supportive local stakeholders — in regions where AI compute can be deployed responsibly and at scale.