EDF offers support to attract digital companies and data centres

French energy giant EDF is working to attract digital companies looking to establish data centres in France, by offering them suitable land spaces and electricity connections.

To this end, EDF launched a call for interest for digital companies, emphasising that France can offer them stable, low-carbon electricity at competitive prices.

The initiative will see EDF offer these companies ready-to-use land already connected to the grid. This will reduce the time it takes to complete these projects, thereby spurring development and ultimately reduce investment barriers hindering progress.

EDF is going so far as to offer “personalized support for the end-to-end completion of the necessary steps to develop their project,” by proposing electricity supply and service offers suited to their projects.

Stéphane Raison, director of EDF in charge of the installation of large consumption sites, commented in a statement: “In France, thanks to EDF and its mix mainly composed of nuclear and renewables, our electricity is abundant, competitive, and low-carbon. This is a major asset to attract players in the digital sector whose electricity needs are linked to the development of Artificial Intelligence. EDF offers concrete solutions to companies wishing to set up in France with the aim of accelerating the time needed to complete their projects.”

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Thus far, EDF has identified four land sites with a total power capacity of approximately 2GW. According to the company, there is a goal to select a further two sites by 2026.

The land will be allocated based on the credibility and maturity of the projects.

France has the second largest nuclear fleet in the world, with nuclear energy making up 65% of the country’s energy mix. Its share of wind and solar (14%) is above the global average (13%) and according to Ember, France generated 92% of its electricity from clean sources in 2023.

The country has entrenched security of electricity supply in its legislative framworks and is currently the world’s largest net exporter of electricity due to its very low cost of generation.

In February 2022 France announced plans to build six new reactors and to consider building a further eight.

Originally published on Power Engineering International.