SoftBank Group Bouchain AI Data Center: 400MW Repurposed Industrial AI Factory Hauts-de-France
Status: Announced / Preferred Bidder Selected & Active Due Diligence Phase | Location: Former EDF Thermal Power Plant Industrial Brownfield Site, Bouchain, Nord, Hauts-de-France, France
Project Overview
The SoftBank Bouchain AI Data Center Campus is a flagship 400 MW brownfield digital infrastructure transformation project located at EDF’s former industrial power generation site in Bouchain, within France’s Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region. Selected by EDF as the preferred bidder under a long-term construction lease, SoftBank Group is repurposing the existing heavy-utility industrial site into a purpose-built sovereign AI compute factory designed to accommodate the rapidly expanding computational requirements of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. The project was formally unveiled at the 2026 Choose France Summit as a major component of SoftBank’s broader European AI infrastructure strategy, forming part of its planned €45 billion, 3.1 GW expansion across the Hauts-de-France region. The Bouchain campus benefits from its industrial heritage and strategic access to established utility infrastructure, including direct connections to France’s high-voltage electricity grid. This power infrastructure provides a strong foundation for energy-intensive AI workloads, which require substantial and reliable electricity capacity for large-scale GPU clusters and advanced computing systems. The site also benefits from existing heavy industrial water rights, creating additional opportunities for sophisticated cooling and thermal-management systems required by high-density AI deployments. To accelerate construction and improve scalability, the development incorporates modular prefabricated power enclosures being built in partnership with Schneider Electric. This approach can support standardized deployment of critical electrical infrastructure while helping reduce construction complexity and enable faster expansion as computing demand increases. By transforming an existing industrial site rather than developing an entirely new greenfield location, the Bouchain project demonstrates how legacy power and industrial assets can be adapted for next-generation digital infrastructure. With substantial planned capacity, high-voltage grid access, industrial utility resources, modular power systems, and a strategic position within SoftBank’s European AI expansion, the Bouchain AI Data Center Campus is positioned to become a significant hub for sovereign AI computing and advanced digital infrastructure in France.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | SoftBank Group Bouchain AI Data Center: 400MW Repurposed Industrial AI Factory Hauts-de-France |
| Location | Former EDF Thermal Power Plant Industrial Brownfield Site, Bouchain, Nord, Hauts-de-France, France |
| Status | Announced / Preferred Bidder Selected & Active Due Diligence Phase |
| Commissioning | Phased Rollout Target (Phase 1 Target 2028–2029 / Full Buildout Target 2031) |
| Total IT Load | 400.0 MW Critical IT Power Capacity Allocation |
| Total Capacity | Purpose-built brownfield redevelopment campus / High-density multi-building AI Factory blueprint |
| Tier Level | Tier III Equivalent Concurrently Maintainable / Fault-Tolerant Architecture |
| Project Type | Repurposed Industrial Brownfield AI Factory, High-Performance Computing (HPC) & Hyperscale Campus |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Bouchain |
| Population | ~4,000 |
| Urban Agglomeration | Part of the wider Valenciennes–Douai urban area |
| City GDP | Not separately reported |
| Per Capita Income | Not separately reported |
| City Tier | Tier 3 – Industrial & Regional Infrastructure Location |
| Key Strengths | Strategic location in northern France; proximity to Valenciennes, Douai and Lille; strong road and rail connectivity; industrial heritage; access to regional power and telecommunications infrastructure; proximity to Belgium and major European markets; established industrial and logistics ecosystem. |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | SoftBank |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | EDF (Électricité de France - Site Owner/Lessor), RTE (Réseau de Transport d'Électricité), Schneider Electric & Government of France (Choose France Initiative) |
| Construction Contractor | Specialized European Mission-Critical EPC & Industrial Brownfield Redevelopment Contractors |
| MEP Engineering | SoftBank Global Infrastructure Teams, EDF Industrial Infrastructure Engineering & Schneider Electric |
| Network Connectivity | Ultra-dense carrier-neutral ecosystem, dual path-diverse subterranean fiber entrance vaults, dedicated Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs), direct interconnection to French IX nodes (France-IX / PARIX), and dark fiber optical links connecting to major European digital hubs (Paris, Brussels, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt). |
| Power Infrastructure | Direct connection to EDF/RTE’s high-voltage 400kV transmission grid infrastructure, static 2N / N+1 uninterruptible power supply (UPS) modules, automated transfer switchgear (ATS), prefabricated Schneider Electric power modules, and multi-megawatt N+1 standby emergency diesel generators with eco-fuel/HVO compatibility and on-site fuel reserve autonomy. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
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| Power Capacity | ~500.0 MVA High-Voltage Grid Substation Capacity Allocation |
| UPS Redundancy | 2N / N+1 Static UPS Architecture |
| Cooling System | Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling (DLC) infrastructure engineered for ultra-high rack power densities (up to 100kW+ per rack), closed-loop dry cooler heat rejection system, and real-time BMS environmental controls. |
| Connectivity | Low-latency optical dark fiber routes linking the Bouchain site to regional cloud availability zones, Dunkirk/Calais subsea landing stations, and core FLAP-D data center markets. |
| PUE Target | < 1.25 Annualized Operational Design PUE |
| Energy Mix | 100% Low-carbon electricity supply provided by EDF's sovereign French nuclear and renewable power mix, aligning with corporate ESG and net-zero targets. |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | Q2 2026 (May 2026 / Choose France Summit) |
| Construction Start | Target 2027 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Phased Delivery Target (2028–2029) |
| Full Buildout | Target 2031 (Complete 400 MW Industrial Conversion) |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | Estimated €4,000,000,000 EUR to €6,000,000,000 EUR Total Campus Capital Expenditure |
| Funding | Corporate Capital Expenditure & Infrastructure Financing (SoftBank Group / Strategic European Partners) |