The announcement was made at the Paris AI Summit, where President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the initiative as part of a broader wave of AI investments estimated at 109 billion euros. "We don't need to drill; we just need to connect," Macron joked during his speech, alluding to the slogan "Drill, baby, drill!" popular among Republicans in the United States since 2008 in support of increasing oil and gas production, which is often repeated by Donald Trump.
The project will be implemented by FluidStack, a company specializing in the creation of computing infrastructure for AI. Construction is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2024, and the first stage of the center will be able to accommodate about 120 thousand NVIDIA chips for AI. If fully deployed by 2028, the center will be able to expand to 500 thousand chips, and by 2030 its capacity could reach 10 gigawatts.
To finance the first phase of the project, FluidStack plans to raise its own funds and loans worth EUR 10 billion. The company is also considering innovative financing mechanisms similar to those used in the United States, including loans secured by NVIDIA chips.
Despite the global chip shortage, FluidStack co-founder Cesar Maclary expressed confidence in the ability to provide the necessary equipment. "Nvidia has told me that they will send those chips when we need them," said Maklary.
France's advanced nuclear infrastructure provides a significant advantage for energy-intensive AI operations. With 57 reactors providing more than two-thirds of the country's electricity, France produces more energy than it consumes, exporting the surplus. Macron has repeatedly emphasized that low-carbon and affordable energy is a key element of France's AI strategy.
The FluidStack project is similar to Stargate, which is being implemented in the United States with the support of SoftBank and OpenAI. This American project in Texas plans to use 1.2 gigawatts of energy for AI developments. By dedicating nuclear energy to AI, France aims to become a key player in the global race for innovation leadership.
The FluidStack project is just one of the numerous announcements made during the Paris Summit. Brookfield Asset Management announced its intention to invest 20 billion euros in AI infrastructure in France, including data centers, whose total capacity is expected to reach 1.5 gigawatts by the end of the decade.
In addition, the United Arab Emirates and France have announced a joint project to create an AI campus in France, which will also use 1 gigawatt of electricity, which, according to French officials, will cost tens of billions of euros.
If the FluidStack project is implemented, it could significantly change the balance of AI development in favor of Europe. Despite the dominance of American tech giants such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google, new initiatives in France could help the continent compete on an equal footing on the global stage.