SoftBank Commits €75B to France AI Data Centers in Europe's Largest Power-First Buildout
On May 31, 2026, Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group Corp. announced a monumental commitment to develop and operate 5 gigawatts (GW) of AI data center capacity across France. Representing an investment of up to €75 billion ($85 billion), the initiative is the largest single AI infrastructure project in Europe's history. The massive scale of the buildout highlights how access to reliable, decarbonized electricity has become the primary site-selection variable in the global AI race.
Following the announcement, SoftBank's stock surged, dethroning Toyota Motor to officially become Japan's most valuable public company.
Phase One and the EDF "Power-First" Utility Strategy
The multi-phase project will begin with three major sites in Northern France: Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain.
- Initial Scale: SoftBank plans to deploy €45 billion ($51 billion) by 2031 to bring 3.1 GW of capacity online across these three locations.
- The Bouchain Partnership: In a direct alignment of utility and data center strategies, French state-owned utility EDF selected SoftBank as the preferred developer for a 400-megawatt (MW) data center campus located at the site of its former Bouchain thermal power plant.
Rather than requiring developers to find land and then lobby for grid access, EDF is actively packaging its decommissioned industrial properties—which already feature robust, high-capacity grid connections—and marketing them directly to AI infrastructure developers. This strategy allows SoftBank to bypass years of grid interconnection delays.
Nuclear Energy as a Decisive Competitive Advantage
France's nuclear-heavy energy mix, which provides abundant, relatively cheap, and low-carbon electricity, was the deciding factor for SoftBank's site selection. SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son emphasized this competitive advantage:
"France’s position as a major energy producer and exporter was absolutely decisive in our decision. By combining abundant, competitive, decarbonized power with strategic sites and industrial expertise, France has all the assets required to become one of the world’s AI capitals."
Analysts point out that as power and water availability become the ultimate breaking points for large-scale AI operations, countries with robust, grid-integrated nuclear power are gaining a massive advantage over regions with localized grid constraints.