SoftBank to spend up to $87 billion on French AI data centers — country offers ample nuclear grid that US sites lack

SoftBank plans up to €75 billion in AI data center spending in France, with an initial €45 billion phase targeting 3.1GW by 2031.

The first phase would include sites in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain, with EDF and Schneider Electric as partners.

SoftBank says France’s low-cost, nuclear-heavy power supply is the key draw, offering faster and cheaper buildouts than in the U.S.

The rest of the capacity is still only a future plan, not a firm commitment.