SoftBank Group · 2026-05-30 · major
SoftBank Commits Up to €75B for 5 GW of AI Data Centers in France — Largest European Buildout, EDF as Power Partner, Dunkirk + Bosquel + Bouchain in Phase 1
SoftBank pledged up to €75B (~$87B) for 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France. Phase one is €45B for 3.1 GW by 2031 across Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain, with EDF supplying power and Schneider Electric on the Dunkirk hub.
SoftBank turns its OpenAI tie-up into a 5 GW European campus play, with EDF on power and Schneider on the Dunkirk build.
Key specs
| Total commitment | €75B (~$87B) |
|---|---|
| Total capacity | 5 GW |
| Phase 1 spend | €45B |
| Phase 1 capacity | 3.1 GW |
| Phase 1 online | by 2031 |
| Phase 1 sites | Dunkirk, Bosquel, Bouchain |
What is it?
An announced SoftBank Group investment of up to €75 billion to build 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in France. The first phase is €45 billion for 3.1 GW by 2031 across three sites in the Hauts-de-France region — Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel, and Bouchain. SoftBank is both an investor in and a customer of OpenAI, and frames this as its largest European AI infrastructure commitment.
How does it work?
SoftBank is providing capital while state-owned nuclear utility EDF supplies the power and a former power-plant site in Bouchain. Schneider Electric joins as technology partner on the Dunkirk hub, which will pair AI compute with robotics manufacturing. The deal was choreographed personally between Masayoshi Son and Emmanuel Macron and timed for the Choose France Summit.
Why does it matter?
AI compute supply is the binding constraint on frontier development and serving capacity, and Europe has lagged the US and China on gigawatt-scale builds. A 5 GW SoftBank campus anchored to nuclear baseload gives OpenAI-aligned workloads an EU-sovereign serving footprint and gives the French government a flagship for its post-Mistral industrial policy.
Who is it for?
EU enterprises buying sovereign inference, hyperscaler and neocloud watchers, energy-grid planners.