SoftBank: From Dunkirk To Bosquel To Bouchain, Three Sites In Hauts-de-France Will Deliver 3.1 Gigawatts In The First Phase As Masayoshi Son Bets That Europe’s AI Infrastructure Race Runs Through France
According to TechCrunch, citing SoftBank Group’s official announcement, the Japanese conglomerate plans to invest up to €75 billion; approximately $87 billion to expand data centre capacity in France, marking its largest AI infrastructure commitment in Europe. The goal is to develop and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data centre capacity.
The first phase involves building data centres in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel, and Bouchain, delivering 3.1 gigawatts of capacity to the Hauts-de-France region by 2031. SoftBank is both an investor in and customer of OpenAI, making its AI infrastructure push a direct complement to its model-layer bets. French economic minister Roland Lescure called the announcement a testament to President Macron’s ambition to position France as a leading AI destination.
The strategic logic is clear. In the United States, opposition to data centre construction is intensifying over environmental concerns and grid pressure. Europe with available land, regulatory stability, and political will from Paris is filling the gap. SoftBank’s French bet is also its second major infrastructure move of the year, following its previously announced Ohio data centre anchored by a 9.2 gigawatt natural gas plant.
To check out our previous coverage on AI infrastructure, data centres, and global tech investment, read our articles here.
