Google has plans to establish its first data centre in France. The central French city of Châteauroux has emerged as the leading candidate for the new facility, according to local officials.
The proposed site, a vast 200-hectare plot within the industrial zone east of Châteauroux, has reportedly been under consideration for months.
Gil Avérous, mayor of Châteauroux and president of the metropolitan area, confirmed that the tech giant is nearing an agreement to purchase nearly 195 hectares of the land for an estimated €58.5 million through its French subsidiary, Tricolore Computing.
“This is a very strong sign of interest from Google,” said Avérous.
The deal, however, is not yet finalised. Final approval is still pending from the local community council, which must vote to authorise the land transfer.
Google is expected to carry out extensive feasibility studies to assess the site’s technical suitability, environmental impact, and economic implications.
This potential French investment follows Google’s substantial commitment to the UK in January 2024, when it broke ground on a $1 billion data centre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. That project, Google’s first major standalone facility in Britain, sits on a 33-acre site acquired in 2020 and is positioned as a showcase for sustainable innovation.
The Waltham Cross facility is designed to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy, supported by a power purchase agreement with ENGIE for electricity generated by Scotland’s Moray West offshore wind farm. It also features air-based cooling systems and infrastructure to enable future heat recovery and reuse.
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