France Pledges Nuclear Power for AI: A Bold Move with Potential Challenges

France set to pledge one gigawatt of nuclear power for AI

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced €109 billion in private investments to improve French AI infrastructure. Key to the investment is one gigawatt of nuclear energy power, which will be destined for the high-performance computers and data centers needed to power emerging AI tools. Announced as part of the AI Action Summit in Paris, the power will add to France's already extensive nuclear infrastructure, which consists of 57 reactors across 18 different plants. Around a third of the country's entire energy consumption comes from nuclear energy, and its infrastructure is so extensive that it exported surplus energy to other countries last year. Using nuclear energy to power its AI data centers seems like the natural progression. Macron added: "Plug, baby, plug" - a reference to US President Donald Trump's "Drill, baby, drill" plan to expand oil drilling operations across the States. Josh Parker, Nvidia's senior director of corporate sustainability, said at the Summit: "Power is the number one consideration for getting access to AI and bringing our systems online" (via WSJ). The first wave of the project will consist of 250 megawatts of AI-destined nuclear energy by the end of 2026. FluidStack, the company behind the project, aims to start work in the third quarter of 2024. It's expecting to get most of its high-performance chips from Nvidia - currently the world's second-most valuable company with a $3.27 trillion valuation. Energy demands are only rising, too. Separate WSJ reporting reveals that today's leading AI models used 30 megawatts of energy for training. That could rise to five gigawatts by the end of the decade. The latest investments add France to the race of countries and companies bidding big on nuclear and other green energy sources to power future data centers.

France pledges to build one gigawatt of new nuclear to speed up its AI ambitions

It also has private investments totaling over $100 million for its AI ecosystem. It's France's turn to get in on the AI boom. On Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron announced private investments into the country's AI ecosystem totaling €109 billion ($112.5 billion). The announcement came ahead of Paris hosting the AI Action Summit on Monday and Tuesday. "I can tell you this evening, Europe is going to speed up, France is going to speed up," Macron stated during a TV interview on France 2 and India's First Post. He further explained that the investment is "exactly the equivalent for France of what the United States announced with Stargate -- $500 billion -- it's the same ratio," when accounting for France's significantly smaller population. Today, France will also reportedly pledge a gigawatt of nuclear power to create an AI computing project, the The Wall Street Journal reports. France has nuclear power to spare, with 57 reactors in 18 plants and exporting about a fifth of the electricity it produced last year -- despite using nuclear power for over two-thirds of its electricity. The project's lead, FluidStack, aims to start work in the third quarter of 2024. By the end of 2026, the goal is to have 250 megawatts of power linked to AI-computing chips. Most of these chips are made by Nvidia, which FluidStack claims will send chips over when they need them. It also states that there's potential to expand to a 10 gigawatt facility by 2030. The news follows Macron and United Arab Emirates leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan's February 6 announcement to put between €30 million and €50 million ($31 million to $51.6 million) towards a one-gigawatt AI center.

Connection challenge could hamper nuclear powered France's bid as AI hub

PARIS (Reuters) - The time needed to connect power-hungry data centres to the electricity grid could blunt France's advantage using its abundant nuclear power to lure billions of dollars of investment into artificial intelligence, investors and experts said. Hosting a global summit on AI this week, French President Emmanuel Macron credited the country's reliable and clean nuclear power with helping attract more than 100 billion euros ($103.26 billion) in AI investments as Europe races to catch up with the United States, the global leader. Among the pledges was a $10 billion facility for a supercomputer operated by UK-based Fluidstack that will eventually need 1 gigawatt (GW) of power, roughly the amount generated by one of France's smaller nuclear reactors. Asset manager Brookfield said it would spend 20 billion euros on AI infrastructure in France, including data centres. With 57 nuclear reactors, France produces more than two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear power. Last year, it exported a record amount, about 17% of its production, mostly to Italy. Data centres would lift demand for power, following a slump in industrial consumption after Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered soaring energy prices. However, planned data centres could still be years away, experts said, with burdensome permitting and construction procedures hampering a quick buildout. "The countries that have the electricity supply ... (which is) sustainable and affordable, they are one step ahead of the others," Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, told global leaders and tech executives attending the summit on Tuesday. "But the problem is the following ... a data centre you build in less than one year, but the transmission lines for electricity you need about five years to build." 'NUTS AND BOLTS' Construction in Europe is especially slow, said Anj Midha, general partner at U.S. venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. "The nuts and bolts of actually assembling the data centres in time, running the cables, sort of the ground logistics of this all require a level of permitting and construction acceleration that the U.S. is far ahead on," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the AI summit. In an effort to speed up the process, state-owned utility EDF said on Monday it had identified four sites on its own land for data centres, with grid connections already in place, and total available power of about 2 GW. "This will reduce the time needed to complete projects by several years," it said in a statement. EDF said in November that it was in talks with three companies to power their 1 GW data centre projects in France, but cautioned that the projects could take years to complete, slowed down by the cost and public consultation required to build new high-voltage power lines. (Reporting by Forrest Crellin and Elizabeth Howcroft; Writing by Dominique Patton; Editing by Aidan Lewis)

Connection Challenge Could Hamper Nuclear Powered France's Bid as AI Hub

PARIS (Reuters) - The time needed to connect power-hungry data centres to the electricity grid could blunt France's advantage using its abundant nuclear power to lure billions of dollars of investment into artificial intelligence, investors and experts said. Hosting a global summit on AI this week, French President Emmanuel Macron credited the country's reliable and clean nuclear power with helping attract more than 100 billion euros ($103.26 billion) in AI investments as Europe races to catch up with the United States, the global leader. Among the pledges was a $10 billion facility for a supercomputer operated by UK-based Fluidstack that will eventually need 1 gigawatt (GW) of power, roughly the amount generated by one of France's smaller nuclear reactors. Asset manager Brookfield said it would spend 20 billion euros on AI infrastructure in France, including data centres. With 57 nuclear reactors, France produces more than two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear power. Last year, it exported a record amount, about 17% of its production, mostly to Italy. Data centres would lift demand for power, following a slump in industrial consumption after Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered soaring energy prices. However, planned data centres could still be years away, experts said, with burdensome permitting and construction procedures hampering a quick buildout. "The countries that have the electricity supply ... (which is) sustainable and affordable, they are one step ahead of the others," Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, told global leaders and tech executives attending the summit on Tuesday. "But the problem is the following ... a data centre you build in less than one year, but the transmission lines for electricity you need about five years to build." 'NUTS AND BOLTS' Construction in Europe is especially slow, said Anj Midha, general partner at U.S. venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. "The nuts and bolts of actually assembling the data centres in time, running the cables, sort of the ground logistics of this all require a level of permitting and construction acceleration that the U.S. is far ahead on," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the AI summit. In an effort to speed up the process, state-owned utility EDF said on Monday it had identified four sites on its own land for data centres, with grid connections already in place, and total available power of about 2 GW. "This will reduce the time needed to complete projects by several years," it said in a statement. EDF said in November that it was in talks with three companies to power their 1 GW data centre projects in France, but cautioned that the projects could take years to complete, slowed down by the cost and public consultation required to build new high-voltage power lines. ($1 = 0.9684 euros) (Reporting by Forrest Crellin and Elizabeth Howcroft; Writing by Dominique Patton; Editing by Aidan Lewis)

France, UAE agree to develop 1 gigawatt AI data centre

PARIS (Reuters) - France and the United Arab Emirates agreed on Thursday to a framework accord for a 1 gigawatt data centre dedicated to artificial intelligence that represents investments of between $30-$50 billion, the French presidency said. President Emmanuel Macron hosted his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Thursday evening ahead of a summit on artificial intelligence in Paris next week that will gather around 100 countries to focus on AI's potential. The February 10-11 summit also aims to put France and Europe on the AI map as they try to rival the U.S. and China, which have taken a lead on the energy-intensive technology. "The two leaders expressed their desire to create a strategic partnership in the field of AI and committed to exploring collaborations on projects and investments supporting the development of the AI value chain," a joint Franco-Emirati statement said. They said the investments would be in both French and Emirati AI, the acquisition of cutting-edge chips, data centres, talent development, as well as the establishment of virtual data embassies to enable the establishment of sovereign AI and cloud infrastructures in both countries. An announcement on the first investments will be made at the Choose France summit later this year. The French government earlier on Thursday said it had located 35 sites to host AI data centres. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

France, UAE Agree to Develop 1 Gigawatt AI Data Centre

PARIS (Reuters) - France and the United Arab Emirates agreed on Thursday to a framework accord for a 1 gigawatt data centre dedicated to artificial intelligence that represents investments of between $30-$50 billion, the French presidency said. President Emmanuel Macron hosted his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Thursday evening ahead of a summit on artificial intelligence in Paris next week that will gather around 100 countries to focus on AI's potential. The February 10-11 summit also aims to put France and Europe on the AI map as they try to rival the U.S. and China, which have taken a lead on the energy-intensive technology. "The two leaders expressed their desire to create a strategic partnership in the field of AI and committed to exploring collaborations on projects and investments supporting the development of the AI value chain," a joint Franco-Emirati statement said. They said the investments would be in both French and Emirati AI, the acquisition of cutting-edge chips, data centres, talent development, as well as the establishment of virtual data embassies to enable the establishment of sovereign AI and cloud infrastructures in both countries. An announcement on the first investments will be made at the Choose France summit later this year. The French government earlier on Thursday said it had located 35 sites to host AI data centres. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

Fluidstack to Build AI Supercomputer in France with EUR 10 Billion Investment

Fluidstack, the AI cloud platform, has signed a EUR 10 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the French government to build what the company calls one of the world's largest decarbonised AI supercomputers. The agreement was announced at the AI Action Summit in Paris under the leadership of President Emmanuel Macron. Also Read: Mistral AI to Build First Data Centre in France: Report The new facility will leverage France's carbon-free nuclear energy to power up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of AI compute capacity, with plans to scale beyond that by 2028. "The project positions France as a premier global AI hub, offering unparalleled compute capacity for next-generation AI models," Fluidstack said on February 10, 2025. "France is the leading European country in artificial intelligence. Since 2017, we have trained our talents, developed our research, and strengthened our key players in healthcare, space, defense, and large language models. We have a role to play because our nuclear energy is controllable, safe, stable, and decarbonized -- ideal for expanding our AI computing capabilities. This EUR 10 billion agreement with Fluidstack embodies my ambition. We must not slow down because the world is accelerating and the battle for innovation is happening now," said Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic. "This partnership allows us to rapidly develop the infrastructure needed to support the next wave of AI innovations. Partnering with the French government and global industry leaders, we are creating the most advanced computing capabilities in the world -- right here in France. France's commitment to digital and energy sovereignty makes it the ideal location for such an ambitious project," said Cesar Maklary, co-founder and president of Fluidstack. Also Read: Equinix Opens Data Center in France with EUR 350 Million Investment Fluidstack said the project has already secured strong interest from its financial partners. Phase 1 of the project, which will host close to 500,000 next-generation AI chips, will be supported by an initial investment of EUR 10 billion (USD 10.36 billion) and is set to become operational in 2026. The facility is purpose-built to train advanced AI models, making France a global AI powerhouse, Fluidstack said, noting that the project has the potential to create thousands of high-skilled AI research and infrastructure jobs. The grid connection provided by RTE, the French national company responsible for managing the high-voltage electricity transmission network. Also Read: Equinix Opens Data Center in France with EUR 350 Million Investment "Fluidstack and the French government recognize that AI's future hinges on three core pillars: energy, compute power, and AI models. By leveraging France's nuclear assets, the advanced grid infrastructure enabled by RTE, leading AI talent, and cutting-edge compute technologies, this partnership will establish France amongst the world's top three AI hubs alongside the United States and China," Fluidstack said.

UAE, France to funnel up to €50B into a 1GW AI datacenter

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France this week announced plans for a one-gigawatt AI datacenter campus dedicated to advancing development of artificial intelligence. The datacenter project, which will be built in France, was unveiled Thursday evening during a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. At one gigawatt in capacity, the facility will be enormous, dwarfing more traditional cloud and hyperscale campuses, which typically top out in the tens of megawatts. With that said, facilities on this scale aren't unheard of, given the insatiable appetite of AI workloads for power-hungry GPUs and high-end networking kits. In the US, social media giant Meta recently began construction of a 2.3-gigawatt facility in Richland Parish, Louisiana. Funding for the Franco-Emirati project will be sourced from a number of backers, reportedly topping €30-€50 billion ($31-$51 billion) -- a fraction of the eye-watering $500 billion figure associated with the United States' Stargate project -- if that ever materializes. MGX, a $100 billion Abu Dhabi investment fund, is reportedly playing a role in financing both the French datacenter project and the ambitious Stargate initiative. The first phase of UAE investments will be announced during the Choose France 2025 summit later this year, the nations said in a joint statement. Along with supporting the expansion of datacenter infrastructure, the partnership will also see the UAE and France work to acquire state-of-the-art semiconductors, talent, and establish virtual data embassies for the development of sovereign AI and cloud services in both countries. The tie-up isn't surprising. The UAE firms like G42 have courted several high profile AI infrastructure providers including Microsoft and Cerebras among others, as the country has sought to insulate itself from increasingly restrictive export controls on American-designed accelerators crucial to AI development. The latest export restrictions set forth by the Biden administration would severely limit the number of accelerators available to the UAE, and much of the world, if they're implemented by the Trump administration. France, for its part, is home to one of Europe's most influential model devs Mistral.AI. The startup has managed to produce large language models -- the kind used to power AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini -- that are competitive with its larger, better funded rivals in the US. Speaking of Mistral, alongside the Franco-Emirati partnership, Cerebras, which is backed by UAE AI darling G42, revealed it's providing its wafer-scale compute platform to the French model builder. Available on Mistral's Le Chat platform, "Flash Answers" promises generation speeds of 1,100 tokens a second, though we'll note that Cerebra is juicing the numbers here a bit using speculative decoding. These announcements come on the eve of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, which kicks off next week, where recent developments surrounding Chinese model builder DeepSeek, and newly elected US president Donald Trump are expected to be key points of discussion. ®

France, UAE agree to develop 1 gigawatt AI data centre

The two countries have agreed to a framework accord for a 1 gigawatt data centre dedicated to artificial intelligence France and the UAE agreed on Thursday to a framework accord for a 1 gigawatt data centre dedicated to artificial intelligence that represents investments of between $30-$50bn, the French presidency said. President Emmanuel Macron hosted his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Thursday evening ahead of a summit on artificial intelligence in Paris next week that will gather around 100 countries to focus on AI's potential. The February 10-11 summit also aims to put France and Europe on the AI map as they try to rival the US and China, which have taken a lead on the energy-intensive technology. "The two leaders expressed their desire to create a strategic partnership in the field of AI and committed to exploring collaborations on projects and investments supporting the development of the AI value chain," a joint Franco-Emirati statement said. They said the investments would be in both French and Emirati AI, the acquisition of cutting-edge chips, data centres, talent development, as well as the establishment of virtual data embassies to enable the establishment of sovereign AI and cloud infrastructures in both countries. An announcement on the first investments will be made at the Choose France summit later this year. The French government earlier on Thursday said it had located 35 sites to host AI data centres.

UAE to invest billions to build AI data center in France | TechCrunch

A few days ahead of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, the French presidency has announced the first of several expected financial initiatives related to AI. France's Emmanuel Macron and the United Arab Emirates' Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have signed an agreement for a significant investment to build a massive data center dedicated to artificial intelligence in France. According to a report from the AFP, France and the UAE could spend "€30 to €50 billion" ($31 to 52 billion at current exchange rates) to build an AI campus. Most of the investment would go toward a data center with a capacity of up to 1GW. On Thursday morning, France's digital and AI minister Clara Chappaz said France has identified 35 locations that could be used to build out new data centers with fast-track administrative approvals. The UAE's data center investment will likely take advantage of that framework. Around 65% of France's electricity production comes from nuclear power plants. The country also gets around 25% of its electricity from renewable sources. As big tech companies struggle to reduce their carbon footprint, France is using the AI Action Summit as an opportunity to attract foreign investments, especially for those power-hungry data centers. A consortium of French and Emirati investors will back the data center project in France. MGX, the Emirati investment firm dedicated to artificial intelligence, will contribute. MGX was also listed as one of the initial investors in Stargate, the large-scale AI investment project led by SoftBank and OpenAI. Commenting on Stargate and Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's recent breakthrough, Chappaz sounded hopeful about France's and Europe's future prospects. "Just the magnitude and the scale between these two announcements show that this is just the beginning," she said at a tech meetup organized by Balderton and Photoroom on Thursday evening. "Because this technology is our opportunity to catch up," she added. On Monday and Tuesday, heads of state will flock to Paris to meet global tech leaders. They'll likely announce more investment deals and a joint statement. The diplomatic agreement could potentially focus on the environmental impact of artificial intelligence. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, China's Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz are all expected to come to the Grand Palais in Paris for the summit.