Sesterce is planning a large-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure campus in Jämsä, Finland, with an investment expected to exceed €10 billion.
The Sesterce Campus would be developed on the site of the former Kaipola paper mill and is intended to transform the industrial property into a renewable-powered AI computing hub.
The project is expected to begin with a 200 MW first phase, with construction planned to start in 2026.
Sesterce intends to expand the campus to 600 MW during a second phase.
Over the longer term, the company aims to develop more than one gigawatt of AI computing capacity across Finland by redeveloping existing industrial sites and expanding in line with market demand.
Sesterce said the Jämsä project is supported by committed workload capacity and already has an anchor customer.
The campus would use existing infrastructure at the former paper mill, including electricity grid connections, water systems, buildings, and logistics infrastructure.
During construction, the project is expected to employ approximately 2,000 people.
Once fully operational, the campus is expected to support around 300 permanent jobs.
Sesterce said it plans to work primarily with Finnish contractors and subcontractors during construction.
The company also outlined several environmental and community commitments for the project.
For every 1 MW of electricity consumed by the campus, Sesterce plans to enable 1 MW of newly constructed renewable generation capacity within Finland’s electricity grid within 10 years of the campus becoming operational.
The company said only newly built renewable generation will count toward the commitment.
Cooling infrastructure will use a closed-loop liquid system supplemented by harvested rainwater and recycled water, with no drinking water used for cooling.
Sesterce also plans to establish a €10 million community fund once the Jämsä campus is commissioned.
The fund would support local projects selected by the City of Jämsä together with local residents.
The campus is also expected to include publicly accessible facilities such as restaurants and education and learning spaces, while infrastructure supporting AI computing operations would remain separate and secured.
Sesterce said its commitments will be measured, independently audited, and publicly reported annually.
The company is designing the campus around liquid cooling, high energy efficiency, and flexible power consumption.
Sesterce is also evaluating opportunities to reuse waste heat generated by the computing infrastructure.
The Kaipola site is connected to Elenia’s high-voltage electricity network, which the utility said provides a foundation for the project’s initial phase.
Sesterce is a French AI infrastructure company developing and operating computing capacity for artificial intelligence.
The company operates through entities in France, the United States, and Singapore and is exploring additional opportunities to redevelop industrial sites across Finland.
KEY QUOTES:
“For more than six decades, the Kaipola mill produced paper for the world. Now, a new generation of industry is being planned for the site. Our goal is to preserve the area’s industrial identity while making use of existing infrastructure, including the power grid, water systems, buildings and logistics connections. Our planning is based on energy-efficient and flexible operations. The Sesterce Campus projects will use liquid cooling, deliver high energy efficiency and feature controllable and flexible power consumption. Opportunities for utilizing waste heat are also being considered as part of the design.”
Youssef El Manssouri, CEO of Sesterce
“Jämsä needs new investments, business activity and jobs. The Sesterce project is an interesting opportunity to strengthen the vitality of the region, provided it progresses from plans to implementation and meets the applicable requirements. The redevelopment of the Kaipola site would be a welcome opportunity to give the area a new lease on life and support job creation in Jämsä. The City wants to advance investment projects in cooperation with businesses and will assess each project carefully as it moves forward.”
Jori Reijula, Mayor of Jämsä
“A functioning, reliable and resilient electricity network is a key enabler of vitality, economic growth, and large-scale industrial investments. The Kaipola industrial site is connected to Elenia’s high-voltage electricity network, which currently provides a solid foundation for implementing the first phase of the project.”
Jorma Myllymäki, CEO of Elenia
