In Short:
Telia Finland is expanding its data center in Helsinki to meet the growing demand for Artificial Intelligence services. The extra capacity, set to be ready by early 2025, will help accommodate the increase in power required for AI-driven tasks. The heat generated by the data center will be used to heat homes in Helsinki, making the expansion both sustainable and practical.
Telia Finland has announced an expansion of its data center capacity in Helsinki to address the growing demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI) services. The telco has observed that AI-driven tasks require significantly more power than traditional processes, leading to an annual increase of up to 30 percent in capacity requirements across the Nordic region for data centers.
Sustainable Data Center Expansion
Telia is currently building an additional 4 MW of capacity in the Telia Helsinki Data Center, which is expected to be operational by early 2025. Since its establishment in 2018, the Telia Helsinki Data Center was designed to be flexible and energy-efficient, providing colocation and server facilities for various customers.
Utilizing Data Center Heat
“Machines performing AI calculations consume a substantial amount of electricity. Our challenge is to efficiently deliver this electricity to a compact space and effectively dissipate the heat generated as a byproduct. The heat extracted from the data center is then transferred to the district heating network, benefiting thousands of homes and properties in Helsinki,” stated the Telia Helsinki Data Center.
Addressing AI Service Demands
As the demand for AI services continues to rise, Telia has witnessed the entry of new players necessitating the expansion of server facilities and capacity. To meet this demand, Telia is augmenting the capacity of its Helsinki Data Center by 4 MW, with completion expected in early 2025. This expansion aligns with the projected increase in data processing demands driven by AI technologies, according to the company.
