Google breaks ground on first data center in Sweden

Google ↗1.48% broke ground Tuesday on its first self-developed data center in Sweden, located in the town of Horndal in Dalarna County.googlecloudpresscorner
The project was years in the making, with land acquired in 2017 and environmental permits granted in 2021, but a formal build decision came only recently.datacenter-forum
Google announced a EUR 5 million community fund and said it has signed over 700 megawatts of renewable energy capacity in Sweden since 2013.googlecloudpresscorner

Google Breaks Ground on First Data Center in Horndal, Sweden

Google on Tuesday broke ground on its first self-developed, owned, and operated data center in Sweden, located in the town of Horndal in Avesta Municipality, Dalarna County. The facility will generate 100 direct full-time jobs and create thousands more through construction and local suppliers, the company said in a press release.googlecloudpresscorner

A Long Road to Construction

The project has been years in the making. Google acquired land in Dalarna in 2017 and received environmental permits from Sweden’s Land and Environment Court in June 2021. As recently as March 2026, Swedish media reported that Google had still not made a formal business decision to build on the site, even as preparatory ground work was underway. Tuesday’s groundbreaking confirms that commitment.datacenterdynamics

The air-cooled facility has been designed with heat recovery capabilities, allowing it to provide waste heat free of charge to local homes and businesses. Google said it is already working with nearly 60 Swedish suppliers on construction, and estimates that for every direct job at the data center, an additional 2.3 jobs will be supported in the broader national economy.bebeez

Community Investment and Clean Energy

Alongside the groundbreaking, Google announced a EUR 5 million fund to support local initiatives in education, sustainability, economic growth, and workforce development. The company said it has trained more than 284,000 people in Sweden on digital and AI skills.googlecloudpresscorner

On the energy side, Google has signed more than 700 megawatts of renewable energy capacity through seven wind power purchase agreements in Sweden since 2013, supporting its goal of running on 24/7 carbon-free energy.googlecloudpresscorner

Broader European Expansion

The Horndal facility is part of Google’s wider push to expand computing capacity in Europe to meet surging demand for AI workloads, cloud services, and its consumer platforms. “This will give businesses, public institutions, and people even better and faster access to our technology, thus supporting the digital transformation of Sweden,” said Anna Wikland, Managing Director of Google Nordics.googlecloudpresscorner

Blerta Krenzi, Chair of the Municipal Board in Avesta, called the event a “historic groundbreaking” that “marks the beginning of a new chapter that will strengthen Avesta”.googlecloudpresscorner