# Swedish datacentre pairs timber construction with low-carbon power

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/datacentres-are-deeply-unpopular-has-sweden-made-one-we-can-all-love/
- Published: 2026-11-12T11:00:46+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T11:32:39+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/nov/12/datacentres-unpopular-sweden-ecodatacenter-falun
- Topics: Business, Climate, Science, Technology

## Key points

- Falun’s 80MW datacentre runs on renewable electricity.
- Its reported carbon intensity is far below the EU average.
- Timber construction and local conditions shape its sustainability case.

## Summary

EcoDataCenter’s facility in Falun, Sweden, is presented as a model for making datacentres less harmful and more acceptable to nearby communities. Its timber construction and renewable electricity distinguish it from facilities associated with high emissions and rapid development with little local input.

The 80MW site uses electricity from hydro and wind, and its operators say the timber structure has about a third of the embodied carbon of a comparable steel-and-concrete building. Its carbon usage effectiveness is 1.17gCO₂/kWh, compared with 263g for the EU average, while its power usage effectiveness is 1.15 against an EU average of 1.36. Sweden’s cold climate, reliable low-carbon power and local conditions also help make the facility more efficient.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.