Nebius to build 240MW AI data centre in France, set to become one of Europe's largest facilities

Nebius Expands European AI Infrastructure with Massive French Data Centre

Nebius Group NV, the Amsterdam-based AI cloud services firm, announced plans to construct a 240-megawatt data centre in Béthune, near Lille in France, positioning it as one of the largest AI infrastructure facilities in Europe when completed1

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. The ambitious project represents a significant expansion of the company's European footprint as demand for AI infrastructure surges across the continent. According to Nebius Chief Communications Officer Tom Blackwell, the facility will begin delivering capacity in phases, with the first systems online by late summer 2025 and approximately half the site operational by the end of 20261

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The Netherlands-based company is transforming a former Bridgestone tyre plant into a state-of-the-art facility designed to service the growing AI industry. While Nebius did not disclose the exact cost, real estate services firm CBRE estimates development and construction costs for an AI data centre at $10-$14 million per megawatt, implying the French data centre could cost between $2.4-$3.6 billion1

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. French firm Azur will bear construction costs, while Nebius will purchase crucial GPU clusters made by Nvidia shortly before deployment1

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Strategic Positioning Amid European AI Adoption Wave

The build-out comes as European companies—particularly in manufacturing, services and logistics—begin deploying AI tools at scale1

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. Blackwell emphasized that while the United States remains Nebius's largest market, establishing a substantial presence in Europe makes "absolute sense" given the increasing adoption of generative AI and other AI technologies across the continent1

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. The company currently operates its largest European facility—a 75-megawatt data centre in Finland—along with smaller co-location deployments in London, Paris and Iceland1

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Nebius has emerged as a leading "neocloud" provider alongside CoreWeave in the United States, gaining prominence through high-profile deals with hyperscalers including a $17 billion agreement with Microsoft and a $3 billion deal with Meta1

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. These partnerships are helping fund the company's longer-term vision of offering full-stack infrastructure and cloud platforms to diverse business customers beyond its current client base of startups, AI firms and digital-focused companies such as Mistral, Shopify and ServiceNow1

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Building Comprehensive Technology Assets for AI Development

Nebius is developing a portfolio of technology assets designed to integrate essential elements of AI development with infrastructure, data and advisory services globally2

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. The company builds complete infrastructure to service the global AI industry, including GPU clusters, cloud platforms and developer tools for AI practitioners2

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. Beyond its core infrastructure business, Nebius Group NV operates three additional businesses under their own brands: Toloka AI, TripleTen and Avride, which focus on services ranging from autonomous vehicles to generative AI development2

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The company reported a wider fourth-quarter loss despite a significant leap in revenue, reflecting heavy spending on expanding capacity to meet booming demand for AI infrastructure1

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. This investment strategy signals confidence in the long-term growth trajectory of the AI industry in Europe and positions Nebius to capture increasing market share as enterprises across the continent accelerate their AI deployments. The phased rollout of the Béthune facility will allow the company to match capacity expansion with demand growth while maintaining operational flexibility in a rapidly evolving market.