SoftBank says it will invest up to 75 billion euros to build French data centers

Softbank Group Announce today It plans to spend up to 75 billion euros (about $87 billion) to expand data center capacity in France.

The company said the goal is to develop and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity. The first phase of the plan includes building data centers in Dunkirk (Lon-Plage), Bousquelles and Beauchains to deliver 3.1 GW of capacity to the Hauts-de-France region by 2031.

Softbank, which is Both investor and customer of OpenAIIt says this will be its largest investment in AI infrastructure in Europe.

In a statement, French Economy Minister Roland Lescure described the announcement as “a testament to President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to position France as a leading destination along the AI ​​value chain.”

In the United States, Opposition to data center construction is growing About environmental concerns, as well as questions about how data centers affect the electric grid and utility rates. However, SoftBank earlier announced plans to build a data center in Ohio. Supported by a new 9.2 GW natural gas plant.