SoftBank announces 5 GW of AI data centres in France, up to EUR 75 billion

2026-05-30 · Publisher : SoftBank Group · Domain : Cloud & DevOps

On the occasion of Choose France 2026, SoftBank announces up to EUR 75 billion for 5 GW of AI data centres in France, including a first EUR 45 billion phase for 3.1 GW in Hauts-de-France by 2031.

### Background On 30 May 2026, ahead of the **Choose France 2026** summit, SoftBank Group commits to develop and operate **5 GW of AI data centre capacity in France**, for an investment of up to **EUR 75 billion**. The first phase, EUR 45 billion, is to deliver 3.1 GW in Hauts-de-France by 2031, with sites in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel and Bouchain. The group sees it as its largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe. It will work with SB Energy and other partners. ### Key facts - Commitment: 5 GW of AI data centre capacity, up to EUR 75 billion. - First phase: EUR 45 billion for 3.1 GW in Hauts-de-France by 2031. - Sites: Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel and Bouchain; other sites are planned in France. - French partnerships: EDF for the Bouchain data centre, Schneider Electric for a robotized equipment plant in Dunkirk. - Other summit announcements, according to the press: Brookfield raises its commitments in France to EUR 30 billion; a first campus at Fouju (Seine-et-Marne), a joint venture with Mistral AI and NVIDIA, is already under construction. ### Why it matters The project changes the scale of AI infrastructure announcements in France, to several gigawatts, and stresses energy and industrialization of construction. For IT departments and services firms, the questions concern customers: which operators, what conditions of access to compute, and on what timeline, 2031 for the first phase. The commitment is an investment announcement, whose delivery depends on power connections and permits. ### Takeaway France receives a multi-gigawatt AI announcement, but delivery is set for 2031 for the first phase.

Tags : Datacenter, Europe, IA, Énergie, Souveraineté