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SoftBank launches €75B plan for 5 GW of AI data centers in France

Published
Score
11

Why it matters

SoftBank Group announced plans to invest up to €75 billion to build and operate 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity across France, marking the company's largest European AI infrastructure commitment. The first phase will deploy €45 billion to deliver 3.1 gigawatts by 2031 in the Hauts-de-France region, with initial sites in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel, and Bouchain. The project involves Schneider Electric, EDF, and SB Energy as strategic partners and will be formally announced at President Emmanuel Macron's Choose France summit.

The timeline for phases beyond the initial deployment and the specific allocation of capital across additional French locations remain undisclosed. SoftBank has indicated plans to expand beyond the three named sites but has not detailed the geographic scope or sequencing of those expansions.

The investment reflects intensifying competition for data center capacity driven by enterprise AI adoption, cloud infrastructure demand, and research computing needs. Attorneys tracking infrastructure regulation, energy procurement, and foreign direct investment in critical digital assets should monitor the project's regulatory approvals—particularly environmental clearances and grid capacity agreements with EDF. The scale and specificity of SoftBank's commitment may also signal shifting European policy toward attracting major technology infrastructure investments, with potential implications for future project financing and permitting frameworks.

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