# SoftBank says it will invest up to €75 billion to build French data centers > Source: > Published: 2026-05-30 21:45:00+00:00 SoftBank Group [announced today](https://group.softbank/en/news/press/20260531_0) that it plans to spend up to €75 billion (around $87 billion) to expand data center capacity in France. The goal, the firm said, is to develop and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity. The first phase of the plan involves building data centers in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel, and Bouchain to deliver 3.1 gigawatts of capacity to the Hauts-de-France region by 2031. SoftBank, which is [both an investor in and customer of OpenAI](https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/05/softbank-openai-launch-new-joint-venture-in-japan-as-ai-deals-grow-ever-more-circular/), says this will be its largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe. In a statement, French economic minister Roland Lescure described the announcement as a “testament to President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to position France as a leading destination all along the AI value chain.” In the United States, [opposition to data center construction is heating up](https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/25/the-public-opposition-to-ai-infrastructure-is-heating-up/) over environmental concerns, as well as questions about how data centers affect the electrical grid and utility prices. Nonetheless, SoftBank earlier announced plans to build a data center in Ohio, [powered by a new 9.2 gigawatt natural gas plant](https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/19/softbank-to-spend-an-eye-popping-33b-to-build-huge-u-s-gas-power-plant/).