The data centre under construction in Nummela, Vihti, will be one of the largest of its kind in Finland. The giant complex, consisting of four data centre buildings and support facilities, will produce many times more waste heat than is needed to produce district heat for the Nummela area. This will provide sustainable businesses with an affordable and easy-to-implement channel for environmentally friendly heat energy.
The Vihti data centre is located close to the good services of Nummela.
"We are now looking for companies that would be able to use the data centre's waste heat, preferably for other purposes than heat production, for example as process heat, so that as much of the waste heat as possible could be used on site. This would be the best option from an environmental point of view. The use of waste heat is an environmental act that benefits companies both economically and in terms of their image," says Mika Herpiö, Vihti's Director of Vitality.
The utilisation of waste heat from the data centre will contribute to Vihti municipality's commitment to reduce per capita greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.
Smooth authorisation and handling processes
As the largest construction project in Vihti's history, the data centre project is an example of successful cooperation between businesses and the municipality.
"Statistically, we have the fastest building permit process in Uusimaa," says Mika Partanen, Vihti's Business Development Manager. In a small municipality, communication with the building control is natural and large new construction projects are prioritised.
Large business plots
Business plots are also available right next to the data centre area in the Rosti business park. Two of the plots will be temporarily used as construction sites during the construction of the data centre, but will also become available once the project is completed. Three plots will be available even earlier.
The largest of the plots on offer has a building capacity of over 10 000 m2 and the smallest plot is around 7 000 m2. Plots can be tailored to the needs of the users, if necessary.
The first phase of the site is already well underway. It is about to be joined by two new planning areas, Rosti 2 and N205, which will add around 50 hectares of business space. Plots of up to 24 hectares are in the planning phase. The best plots are already available for pre-contracting.
15 minutes from Ring III
The data centre area covers an area of 60 hectares in the Rosti business park, in a logistically excellent location near the Turku motorway junction, providing excellent connections to Helsinki, Turku and ports.
"It is worth remembering that the Rost business park is only a 15-minute drive from Ring III. Some of the plots in the area are within sight of the Ring Road, which also provides a free advertising space for companies locating in the area," Herpiö stresses.
The possible future construction of the Western Railway and a new railway station right next to the business park will further enhance the accessibility and attractiveness of the area.
"Demand in the Rost region looks quite good at this stage. For example, logistics companies are interested, which would use the waste heat mainly for heating. In addition, negotiations have been held with companies that could use waste heat in their processes," says Herpiö.
Skilled labour is available
The workforce for the data centre and the business area is supported by the Länsi-Uusimaa Education Group Luksia, which provides tailored training for the needs of the data centre. A good supply of labour is ensured by the thousands of commuting commuters living in Vihdi who apply for jobs opening up in Vihdi.
Information on business sites and premises in Vihdi: www.vihtibusiness.fi/mahdollisuudet
For more information on the data centre project: www.vihtibusiness.fi/datakeskus
Photo from Nummela in Vihti: Joenrinne Films