Google Torsboda data center plan fuels electricity and sovereignty concerns

Google has applied to purchase the 214‑hectare Torsboda industrial park in Timrå municipality to build one of Europe’s largest data centres. The project would require an initial power demand of about 1 000 MW, potentially rising to 2 000 MW – roughly the output of two nuclear reactors. Local officials warn that adding such an electricity‑intensive facility without new generation could push up power prices for residents. Daniel Gustafsson, department head at Svenska kraftnät, said, “Om man stoppar in en sån här anläggning utan att tillföra nyproduktion, då kommer det att påverka elpriset.”

The municipalities of Sundsvall and Timrå, which jointly own the park, are to decide on the sale in the autumn. The deal is projected to create around 500 jobs, but critics argue that the economic value created by the data centre – cloud services, AI models and related revenues – will largely stay abroad. A Dagens Nyheter opinion piece warned that Sweden is “selling strategic assets without accounting for the value‑addition” and risked becoming a digital colony. The local utility has indicated that the developer must include its own power generation in the agreement, and the government is reviewing how to protect electricity prices for the region.