Key HighlightsNebius announced construction plans for a cutting-edge AI data center in Lappeenranta, Finland, featuring up to 310 MW of capacity — among Europe’s most significant AI infrastructure projects.The Finnish project carries an estimated valuation exceeding $10 billion, with initial customer operations scheduled for 2027.Nebius shares have gained 10% in 2026 year-to-date, significantly outperforming competitors CoreWeave (down 3.4%) and IREN (down 16%).The AI infrastructure provider recently landed a $2 billion capital injection from Nvidia alongside a cloud services contract with Meta valued at up to $27 billion.The company aims to achieve over 3 GW of contracted power capacity worldwide by year-end 2025, having already locked in 750+ MW across the EMEA region.Nebius (NBIS) shares climbed to $95.31 during premarket hours on Tuesday, representing a 3.3% increase before the opening bell.Nebius Group N.V., NBISThe AI infrastructure provider has demonstrated impressive momentum in early 2026. Through Monday’s trading session, Nebius posted a 10% year-to-date gain, sharply contrasting with challenges facing other neocloud operators. CoreWeave has declined 3.4% over the same period, while IREN has plummeted 16%.Tuesday’s premarket surge followed Nebius’s revelation of an ambitious data center initiative in Lappeenranta, Finland.$NBIS is going big in Europe $10B investment for a massive 310 MW AI data centre in Lappeenranta, Finland – one of the continent’s largest dedicated AI factories.First capacity online in 2027. This will be Nebius’ biggest site outside the US, powering AI training &… pic.twitter.com/rcfwMpDivN— Cernunnos Capital (@CernunnosCap) March 31, 2026The planned facility will deliver up to 310 MW of capacity, positioning it among Europe’s most substantial AI infrastructure developments. Customer operations are projected to commence in 2027.Nebius chose not to disclose specific investment amounts for the initiative, though Reuters sources pegged the project’s value at over $10 billion.“This represents a multiyear capital commitment that matches the extraordinary demand we’re witnessing for AI infrastructure capabilities,” a company spokesperson stated. “We’re in active discussions with numerous potential clients spanning AI-native enterprises, traditional businesses, and academic research organizations.”Chief Executive Arkady Volozh characterized the Lappeenranta development as “a substantial expansion of our worldwide AI infrastructure deployment strategy.”Major Partnerships With Nvidia and Meta Drive GrowthThe stock’s impressive 2026 trajectory has been bolstered by two strategic partnerships. Earlier this year, Nvidia announced a $2 billion investment commitment to Nebius. Following that development, Nebius finalized a cloud infrastructure partnership with Meta Platforms carrying a potential value of $27 billion.These high-profile agreements have distinguished Nebius from competing neocloud providers, which have experienced greater volatility due to retail investor activity and fluctuating sentiment surrounding artificial intelligence investments.Operating from its Netherlands headquarters while maintaining a U.S. market listing, Nebius has established an ambitious goal of securing over 3 GW of contracted power capacity before 2025 concludes.Within the EMEA territory specifically, the company has locked in more than 750 MW of contracted power commitments. This includes an AI facility near Lille, France, projected to deliver 240 MW capacity at full operational scale.Contributing to Europe’s Expanding AI Infrastructure LandscapeThe Finnish facility announcement arrives amid accelerating AI infrastructure investment throughout Europe.French artificial intelligence company Mistral obtained $830 million in debt financing this week to support a data center project near Paris. The company previously unveiled a 1.2 billion euro initiative to establish computing infrastructure in Sweden.British startup Nscale successfully raised $2 billion this month at a $14.6 billion valuation, focusing on data center development across Europe and North America.Additional recent developments include a 1.4 GW AI campus in France involving MGX, Bpifrance, Mistral, and Nvidia, alongside Brookfield’s commitment of up to $9.9 billion for a Swedish AI data center facility. OpenAI has also announced plans for a Stargate-inspired installation in Norway, partnering with Nscale.Earlier this month, Nebius disclosed receiving regulatory approval for its inaugural gigawatt-scale data center, planned for Missouri.The post Nebius (NBIS) Stock Climbs 3% on Major Finnish AI Data Center Announcement appeared first on Blockonomi.