Paris – 06/02/2026: France is currently undergoing an unprecedented expansion of data centers, primarily driven by international investments from major tech corporations. Alongside economic growth and new jobs, ecological and societal challenges are also in focus.
In May 2026, the SoftBank Group announced plans to invest up to 75 billion euros in AI data centers in France. The first project phase, with a volume of 45 billion euros, aims to provide data center capacity of 3.1 gigawatts by 2031 at three locations in northern France — Loon-Plage, Bosquel, and Bouchain. This investment primarily leverages France’s extensive nuclear power network, which supplies about 70 percent of the national electricity and thus provides comparatively low-cost and low-carbon energy.
By early 2026, around 350 data centers were operational in France, with an installed capacity of 714 megawatts at the end of 2024. This puts France third in Europe behind the United Kingdom and Germany. The national target aims to reach a capacity of 2.3 gigawatts from approximately 500 sites by 2030 — a more than threefold increase in a short time.
This development is driven by the rapidly growing demand for cloud services and generative artificial intelligence. Major providers such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Platform are expanding their offerings and capacities, with over 95 percent of existing data centers concentrated in the Paris-Île-de-France region.
However, the rapid expansion of data centers raises significant environmental questions. In 2023, the 460 identified data centers in France, each consuming more than 1 GWh annually, together used almost 4 terawatt-hours, representing a 21 percent increase compared to the previous year. This consumption corresponds to approximately 1 to 1.5 percent of the country’s total electricity demand.
The French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) warns that without new political measures, energy consumption by data centers could increase 3.7-fold by 2035, which would have significant energy and climate policy consequences.
Besides energy demand, land use is also an issue. Data centers require large areas, which can lead to land-use conflicts, especially in densely populated or agriculturally used regions. Additionally, there is discussion about the extent to which local communities actually benefit from the investments, as local job creation often does not occur to the same extent.
France thus faces the challenge of balancing the necessary expansion of digital infrastructure with ecological sustainability and resource-efficient use. A comprehensive strategy is essential to harness the opportunities of digital transformation while adequately addressing environmental risks and social aspects.