Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank has committed up to €75 billion ($87.5 billion) to build a massive network of artificial intelligence data centers in France. Timed with President Emmanuel Macron’s Choose France summit, this marks SoftBank’s largest AI infrastructure investment outside the United States.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Blueprint: 5 Gigawatts of Power
The project aims to deliver a total capacity of 5 gigawatts (GW) of computing power—roughly equivalent to the electricity output of five nuclear reactors. It will be rolled out in two major phases:
1.Phase 1: Northern Hub:By 2031.
SoftBank will lead an initial €45 billion investment to deploy 3.1 GW of capacity across the Hauts-de-France region. The primary infrastructure campuses will be built in Dunkirk, Le Bosquel, and Bouchain.
2.Industrial & Robotics Integration:Concurrent Design.
At the Dunkirk port facility, SoftBank is partnering with Schneider Electric to build a specialized manufacturing hub. This site will build data center enclosures and automated power modules, creating a localized supply chain.
3.Phase 2: National Expansion:Post-2031.
SoftBank will scale the infrastructure network across additional sites in France, adding the final 1.9 GW of capacity to meet the ultimate 5 GW ceiling.
Strategic Advantages & Project Reality
- Decarbonized Grid Access: France’s state-backed nuclear energy provider, EDF, is heavily involved (specifically at the Bouchain site). Access to stable, low-carbon baseload electricity was the primary driver for SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son choosing France over other European regions.
- The Funding Model: While SoftBank is directing the initiative alongside local partners like digital infrastructure firm Sesterce, an infrastructure project of this magnitude typically relies on heavy debt-based project financing. SoftBank will inject initial equity, but external institutional investors and banks will fund the majority of the €75 billion balance.
Global Footprint: This European push runs parallel to SoftBank’s aggressive global buildout, which includes a 10 GW data center project in Ohio and a 5 GW computing consortium in Abu Dhabi alongside OpenAI and G42.
