SoftBank to Invest Up to €75 Billion in French AI Data Centers

Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank has unveiled a major investment plan to develop data centers in France, with total funding potentially reaching €75 billion, equivalent to approximately $87 billion. The project targets expanding capacity to meet surging demand for computational resources, particularly in artificial intelligence.

The first phase involves constructing three data centers in Dunkirk (Lune-Plage), Bosquel, and Bouchain. By 2031, these facilities will provide an additional 3.1 GW of capacity to the Île-de-France region. The overall infrastructure could eventually scale to 5 GW. SoftBank, an investor and client of OpenAI, positions this as Europe’s largest AI infrastructure initiative.

French authorities welcomed SoftBank’s announcement. Economy Minister Roland Lescure described it as validation of President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to establish France as a leader across the entire AI value chain. Meanwhile, debates in the U.S. continue over the environmental and energy impacts of data centers, though SoftBank previously announced plans for a facility in Ohio powered by a new 9.2 GW gas-fired power plant.