Data4 confirms €5bn plan for 700MW AI data center in northern France. Former steelworks to become new campus June 15, 2026 Data4 has confirmed plans for a €5 billion ($5.8bn), 700MW, data center at a former steelworks in northern France The Brookfield-owned developer will build the campus, which it says will be its largest data center to date, in the city of Escaudain, in the Hauts-de-France region. Located at the Soufflantes industrial park, the data center will be built on the site of the former Usinor steel factory. DCD reported in December that Data4 had been selected by La Communauté d'Agglomération de La Porte du Hainaut, the local authority, to lead a feasibility study into building a data center on the land, which has been vacant for 45 years. "We are delighted to bring our project to life in the Hauts-de-France region, a highly strategic area and a major connectivity and communication hub for Europe," said Olivier Micheli, Data4 CEO. "With the support of national and regional authorities and La Communauté d'Agglomération de La Porte du Hainaut, we will be able to revitalize this territory through the digital industry and build the sovereign, sustainable, and competitive infrastructures that France and Europe so urgently need." Data4 said further studies and preliminary construction work will take place over the next year. Following the initial data center building on the site, another four could be added, but the company has not put timescales on construction or revealed the capacity of the first phase of the development. The land was identified by the French government as one of 35 turnkey sites available for the development of data centers in France, with a fast-track power grid connection available via the RTE network. Aymeric Robin, Mayor of Raismes and President of La Communauté d'Agglomération de La Porte du Hainaut, said: "With this major data center campus project dedicated to artificial intelligence, we aim to erase the last remnants of an industrial era and open a new, more technological chapter. "We will support this transformation so that our residents can benefit from these job opportunities and new prospects, including in professions that rely on these new technologies, such as healthcare, services, or security. This is about shaping a region and its people for the jobs of tomorrow," declares "This win-win collaboration addresses the challenges of modernity, security, and the development of a new era that will create wealth for our community." France has been making concerted efforts to become Europe's capital of AI infrastructure. DCD wrote an in-depth feature on the French AI data center build-out in Issue 57 of the magazine. News of the development was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron. Writing on LinkedIn, he said: "This is the result of Choose France: reindustrializing, training, innovating and promoting our territories." Data4 was established back in 2006 by Colony Capital (now DigitalBridge) and has been owned by Brookfield since April 2023. The company currently operates more than 30 data centers in France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany, and Greece, totaling around 1.5GW. Last year, Brookfield announced it was investing €20 billion ($20.7bn) in French digital infrastructure over the next five years, most of which will be funneled through Data4. The company could develop another hyperscale campus in northern France, on a former air force base at Cambrai. More in construction & site selection.

In Northern France, Data4 launches its largest data center campus to support Europe's AI growth. With a €5 billion investment in Northern France, Data4 has confirmed the launch of its largest data center campus project in France. Developed on a former industrial site in Escaudain, the initiative aims to support the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence across Europe while contributing to the regeneration of a historic industrial region. On June 12, 2026, Data4 announced the launch of its new data center campus in Escaudain, Northern France. Developed with the support of local authorities, the project will transform the former Parc des Soufflantes industrial site into a next-generation technology campus through a €5 billion investment. Six months after being selected as the exclusive partner for the site's redevelopment, feasibility studies conducted with stakeholders confirmed that all conditions are in place to establish a major digital infrastructure hub in the region. The project is intended to extend the digital corridor surrounding Paris and contribute to the emergence of an "AI Valley" in Northern Europe. "We are delighted to bring this project to life in a highly strategic region at the crossroads of Europe's connectivity and communications networks," said Olivier Micheli, President & CEO of Data4. "With the support of national, regional and local stakeholders, we will help revitalize the area through the digital industry while building the sovereign, sustainable and competitive infrastructure that Europe increasingly needs." A strategic project for Europe's digital future. Spanning 33 hectares, the future campus will ultimately deliver 700 MW of capacity, making it the largest project ever developed by Data4 The announcement reflects Data4's broader strategy of combining digital infrastructure development with industrial regeneration. The company has already transformed former Alcatel and Nokia industrial sites near Paris into a 500 MW data center hub, now among the largest in Europe. Today, Data4 operates ten campuses across six European countries and plans to invest more than €20 billion across Europe by 2030, including €5 billion dedicated to the Escaudain site. The location was selected for its strategic position at the intersection of Europe's major data exchange markets linking Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris. Combined with access to a large talent pool and reliable low-carbon energy resources, these advantages make the region particularly well suited to hosting the next generation of cloud and AI infrastructure. Meeting the growing demands of artificial intelligence. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is creating unprecedented demand for computing power, data processing and hosting capacity. To address these evolving requirements, Data4 plans to build four next-generation data centers on the Escaudain campus over the coming years. Beyond supporting technological growth, the project is also aligned with Europe's broader ambition to strengthen its digital sovereignty. As cloud adoption accelerates and AI workloads continue to increase, expanding data center capacity within Europe is becoming a strategic priority for ensuring that critical digital infrastructure remains available, resilient and competitive. For Data4, developing large-scale infrastructure on European soil is essential to supporting the growth of digital services while reinforcing Europe's long-term technological autonomy. A catalyst for regional transformation. Once fully operational, the campus is expected to create approximately 2,400 permanent jobs. The project is expected to contribute significantly to the economic transformation of the region by attracting investment, supporting new skills development and creating opportunities linked to the digital economy. According to Data4 and its regional partners, the campus is intended to help position the area as a major hub for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital innovation. Designed with sustainability at its core. As with all Data4 developments, the Escaudain campus will integrate the latest environmental innovations from the outset. The use of low-carbon concrete and systems designed to recover and reuse waste heat generated by servers will contribute to reducing the overall environmental footprint of the site. The group will also establish "Data4All", a new center of excellence dedicated to training, research and entrepreneurship. Developed in collaboration with schools, local organizations and innovation stakeholders, the initiative aims to foster skills development, support research activities and encourage entrepreneurship around digital technologies. Through this project, Data4 continues to expand its European footprint while reinforcing its ambition to build sovereign, sustainable and highly connected digital infrastructure. By combining technological innovation, industrial redevelopment and regional economic growth, the Escaudain campus illustrates how Europe is investing in the foundations needed to support the next generation of cloud and artificial intelligence services.