SoftBank says it will invest up to €75 billion to build French data centers
SoftBank Group announced today that it plans to spend up to €75 billion (about $87 billion) to expand data center capacity in France.
The goal, the company said, is to develop and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity. The first phase of the plan includes the construction of data centers in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel and Bouchain to deliver 3.1 gigawatts of capacity to the Hauts-de-France region by 2031.
SoftBank, which is both an investor in and a customer of OpenAI, says this will be the largest investment in AI infrastructure in Europe.
In a statement, French Economy Minister Roland Lescure described the announcement as a “proof of President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to position France as a leading destination in the entire AI value chain.”
In the United States, opposition to the construction of data centers is growing due to environmental concerns and questions about how data centers affect the electricity grid and energy prices. Nevertheless, SoftBank previously announced plans to build a data center in Ohio, powered by a new 9.2 gigawatt natural gas plant.
