SoftBank Group announced plans to spend up to €75 billion (about $87 billion) to build and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity in France, calling it the firm’s largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe. The first phase targets 3.1 gigawatts by 2030 in the Hauts-de-France region, with data centers in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel, and Bouchain.
Phase Details And Timeline
The initial phase will deliver 3.1 gigawatts of capacity to Hauts-de-France by 2031, forming part of a broader push to reach 5 gigawatts across France. SoftBank said the expandable plan will support growing AI workloads and operate as a major node in Europe’s AI value chain.
Government Support And Strategic Context
French economic minister Roland Lescure called the investment a testament to President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to position France as a leading destination along the AI value chain. SoftBank, which is both an investor in and customer of OpenAI, is aligning its European expansion with rising demand for AI compute and cloud capacity.
Contrast With U.S. Opposition
In the United States, opposition to data center construction is growing over environmental concerns and impacts on the electrical grid and utility prices. SoftBank earlier announced plans to build a 9.2-gigawatt natural gas-powered data center in Ohio, highlighting a different approach to meeting power needs compared to the French rollout.
Featured image credits: MIKI Yoshihito via Flickr
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