softbank group announced today It plans to spend up to €75 billion (about $87 billion) to expand data center capacity in France.
The goal is to develop and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity, the company said. The first phase of the plan involves the construction of data centers in Dunkirk (Lune-Plage), Bosquel and Bouchain to provide 3.1 gigawatts of capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031.
SoftBank, which is Both investors and customers in OpenAIsays this will be its largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe.
In a statement, French Economy Minister Roland Lescure described the announcement as “proof of President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to establish France as a leading destination in the AI value chain.”
In the United States, Opposition to data center construction is heating up Along with environmental concerns, there are questions about how data centers affect the electrical grid and utility prices. Nonetheless, SoftBank had previously announced plans to build a data center in Ohio, Powered by a new 9.2 GW natural gas plant.
