US data center operator Prime is expanding into Finland with plans for a new development outside Helsinki.

The city of Järvenpää this week announced Prime Data Centers is planning to build an AI-ready data center in the Vähänummi industrial area in the city.

Prime is reportedly developing the project in collaboration with its local partner, Nordic real estate investor Brunswick Real Estate.

Full details haven’t been shared, but the planned data center would be located on a 12-hectare plot on Emalikatu in the Vähänummi industrial area. Prime is reportedly aiming to invest €1.8 billion ($2bn) in the development.

“We are pleased to announce the Järvenpää data center project and launch the environmental impact assessment,” said Nicholas Laag, founder and CEO of Prime Data Centers.

Construction is expected to begin in 2027, subject to the completion of the environmental impact assessment process and the necessary permits for the project.

The project includes a plan for waste heat recovery and possible connection to the Järvenpää district heating network.

“The city of Järvenpää is positive about the Prime Data Centers investment project. If implemented, the project would strengthen the city’s vitality and employment and produce significant technological impacts nationwide,” said Järvenpää Mayor Iiris Laukkanen.

Prime’s current portfolio is largely centered in the US around California, with campuses also in development in Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona.

The company announced plans to move into Europe in 2023 with a three-building, 124MW campus in Saeby, in northern Denmark. Another campus is in development in Madrid, Spain, that will offer 40MW.

Investors in the company include Macquarie Capital, Ares Management, Siemens Financial Services, Snowhawk, and Nuveen.

Järvenpää is situated in the center of the Uusimaa region, some 40km north of Helsinki.