HELSINKI, Finland: Google will spend at least 13 billion euros (US$15.1 billion) on AI infrastructure in Finland over the next two years and secure nuclear power under a 22-year agreement, marking the Alphabet-owned company's biggest investment in Europe.

The investment will include three new data centers in northern Finland, where temperatures can fall well below minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter.

Colder Nordic climates and stable power grids offer advantages for energy- and water-intensive data centers, which require large amounts of energy to keep computer servers cool. Freezing air can provide an efficient alternative.

Alphabet this year increased its planned global investment to between $195 billion and $205 billion as it seeks to capture growing demand for AI computing.

The Finland project includes a 22-year agreement to purchase up to 50 percent of the energy output from one of Finland's two nuclear power plants, operator Fortum said separately.

"We call this BYOP, bring your own power," Google's President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat told reporters in Helsinki. "This is Google's first nuclear energy deal outside of the United States."

Nuclear power's ability to provide large amounts of low-carbon energy is among Finland's attractions as Google and companies including Microsoft and TikTok owner ByteDance seek locations for data centers while trying to contain energy costs and meet climate goals.

Google and Fortum will also explore developing new nuclear and renewable energy in Finland. Fortum shares surged 15.5 percent to a 4-1/2-year high following the announcement, making the company Europe's biggest gainer.

Google said the investments would include data centers, electricity grid improvements, clean energy and battery projects supporting services including Gemini, Search, Maps and YouTube.

The spending, planned for 2027 and 2028, will contribute about 3.6 billion euros to Finland's gross domestic product during the construction phase and is projected to support around 7,000 jobs annually once operational, according to Google.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the investment would benefit the economy by encouraging innovation, research and development, while playing down concerns about its impact on electricity supplies and prices.

"Based on all the information available, there is enough electricity," he said. "They are committed to ensuring that electricity production in Finland remains sufficient and that prices remain under control."

Finland has fewer than six million people despite being similar in size to Germany and has faced less vocal opposition to data-center development than some other places, including the United States.

Fortum said the long-term power purchase agreement would provide economic certainty for extending the lifetime of and upgrading its Loviisa nuclear power plant through 2050. The plant is located near Google's Hamina data center.