Norwegian data center developer ASP DC has acquired a data center development site in Pori, Finland.

ASP DC this week announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CompassForge Real Estate I, a 37-hectare data center project located in Pori with potential for up to 300-400MW of capacity.

The site was acquired from CompassForge Ventures. Terms were not shared. The deal is expected to close later this month.

The construction of the data center is set to start in 2026, with commercial operations of the first phase of the data center to start in early 2027.

“We are very pleased to have found an experienced new owner that is well-positioned to further enhance and drive future growth opportunities for the Pori data center project,” said Juuso Virtanen, chairman of CompassForge Ventures. “With AI driving unprecedented, energy-intensive computing demand, the market increasingly requires data centers designed with intelligent, integrated energy management, such as the Pori platform. Now is the right time for the new owner to take the lead of this project.”

News that a large-scale campus was planned in Pori surfaced at the turn of the year. The site, in the Kupariteollisuuspuisto industrial area (“Copper Industrial Park” in English), is set to include a gas power plant and make its waste heat available to local heating networks.

The first phase of the data center development will total 150MW. Images from CompassForge suggest up to six data center buildings are planned.

The Kupariteollisuuspuisto is a 100-hectare industrial park along the Kokemäenjoki River in Pori, a city on the west coast of Finland. The site was long dedicated to copper and nickel production by metals firm Outokumpu.

“We are very proud to have completed the acquisition of CompassForge Real Estate I,” added Magnus Asp, owner and chairman of ASP DC. “The acquisition makes it possible to continue our exceptional journey and aligns with our strategic goal of becoming the leading data center operator in the Nordics. Our aim for Pori is that the data center will become the leading data center location in the Nordics, both in terms of technology and scale. We will achieve this goal by working closely with Ecogrid and other local partners in Pori. Our vision is that through our presence, we will also contribute locally in Pori and give back value to the local community.”

Ecogrid.Energy and the founders of CompassForge Real Estate I will continue to support ASP DC in the development of the data center and the energy infrastructure at the site.

“The collaboration demonstrates that Finnish value-added innovation is in strong international demand. Thanks to our solution, the data center plays an important role in supporting the power grid, rather than merely consuming electricity, which also fits perfectly with the government’s data center roadmap,” said Seppo Ihalainen, partner, Ecogrid.Energy.

ASP DC was established in 2022 by ASP Eiendom AS, a Norwegian real estate firm launched in 2008. The company acquired a 1,500 sqm (16,145 sq ft) data center last year, though few details were shared. ASP also acquired a former factory and cryptomine outside Bergen, Norway, in September.

CompassForge Ventures is a data center developer in Finland that has developed a market-leading energy-centric data center concept in cooperation with Ecogrid.Energy, an energy management and development partner for data centers globally.

Ecogrid.Energy was set up by Ficolo founder Seppo Ihalainen; Ficolo was acquired by D9 in 2022 and rolled into Verne. One of Ficolo’s data centers was an underground site in Pori. As well as Pori, Ecogrid.Energy is planning a second Ecogrid park in Raisio, a town outside Turku in southwest Finland.

ASP DC is being advised by Avance Attorneys as the legal advisor. CompassForge Ventures is being advised by EY-Parthenon as the M&A advisor and Hannes Snellman as the legal advisor. NCC has been the development partner in the project.

Most of Finland’s data centers are located in the country’s capital, Helsinki. Established operators, including the likes of Verne, Equinix, and atNorth, have a presence in Finland, while new operators such as Polarnode, FCDC, Arcem, and Hyperco are planning multiple developments across the country. International operators, including QTS, Pure, and DayOne, are also looking to develop in Finland.