Amsterdam-based AI cloud provider Nebius is planning to construct 240MW Béthune Data Centre in France.

As reported by Les Echos, the data centre project will see the former Bridgestone tyre plant redeveloped and set to deliver capacity in phases.

Furthermore, according to Nebius CCO Tom Blackwell, the first phase of capacity is expected online by late summer. Additionally, half of the data center is expected to be up and running by the end of 2026.

Size of the Data Center

The data center will span around 26,000 sqm (280,000 sq ft). Also, it is expected to provide 30 full-time jobs. Currently, the company is already advertising for a data center IT manager in the area.

However, the financial terms of the project were not revealed. It is expected to be one of the largest data centers in the country and Europe at large, joining data center projects such as Teesside Data Center in UK. According to La Tribune, the only data center in France that is able to deliver more power is the Data4 park in Essonne. This data centre is expected to offer 375MW by the end of the year 2026.

Also, speaking on the project, Blackwell stated: “The choice of France came about quite naturally a few months ago. It’s not a single event, but rather the entire public strategy we’ve observed over the past year, which clearly demonstrates that the country wants to build a unique AI infrastructure in Europe.”

Can Europe Catch up with USA’s Pace in Developing Data Centers

He added, regarding the chasm between the US’ AI progress and wider Europe: “Can Europe fully catch up with the US? That might be difficult at this stage. Can Europe move much faster and significantly reduce its level of dependence by having a much larger infrastructure? The answer is yes.”

Béthune is located in northern France in the Pas-de-Calais department. Most of France’s data centers are located around Paris, with a secondary hub in Lille.

Factsheet

Developer: Nebius

Location: Béthune, France (near Lille)

Total capacity: 240 MW

Timeline:

• First capacity online: Expected by Late Summer 2026.
• Half-site operational: Target for End of 2026.

Company Roles in the Development of the Project

Nebius: Operator and AI Architect

Azur Datacenter: Physical Infrastructure

NVIDIA: Core Technology Partner

Equinix: Colocation Provider

Bridgestone: Site Origin

Microsoft and Meta: Anchor Customers