Global data center investments projected to rise

According to projections from Bank of America relayed by Reuters, global investments in data centers could reach 2.100 billion dollars by 2028. This growth reflects increasing demand for digital infrastructure driven by technological advancements.

France's expanding data center landscape

In France, there are already more than 350 data centers in operation, and the state has identified nearly 1,200 hectares, or more than 1,600 football fields, of fertile land designated to accommodate the new wave of these mega projects. This expansion is part of a broader global trend.

Security and scale of a major data center

In the ultra-secure corridors of Data4 in Essonne, the mechanical hum has been continuous for 20 years. Entering this 110-hectare campus, one of the largest in Europe, is akin to a combat path: eight security checks, biometric surveillance, and 24/7 cameras.

Energy consumption of a major data center

This single site, adjacent to the small commune of Marcoussis, delivers a power of 250 megawatts. Concretely, that is the total electrical consumption of a city like Toulon. And this is only the beginning of the growing demand for data center energy.

AI's impact on energy needs

The revolution of AI is completely changing the game: the demand for computing is multiplied by ten every year. A single Nvidia chip consumes 700 watts, equivalent to a microwave. This growing demand is pushing data center projects to unprecedented scales.

A massive AI campus in Seine-et-Marne

One hour from Paris, near the commune of Fouju, in Seine-et-Marne, the future AI Campus, funded with 50 billion euros, promises to be even more colossal. In the long term, it will require more than 1.4 gigawatts of electricity, equivalent to an EPR nuclear reactor.

Energy allocation challenges

"Once you centralize a lot of energy, either you increase your production capacity or you take it away from other uses," warns Didier Mallarino, a research engineer at CNRS and deputy director of the Ecoinfo group. "With the accelerating heatwaves, we will have to make choices: do we power hospitals and air conditioning, or rather data centers?"

Ecological concerns and land use

Are our countryside areas being sold to AI? Data4 is aware of the ecological impact of these giants. The French company has chosen to locate itself on former industrial wastelands to avoid the artificialization of fertile soils, as seen in its future campus project in Nozay.

Environmental challenges of data centers

However, the challenges to minimize the impact of these giants are numerous: "We will use a lot of chemicals, including biocides to eliminate algae, there will be metal corrosion, and emissions of eternal pollutants (…) So there are many pollutants on which we currently do not have a very clear view and which are not measured at all by the operators of data centers."

Growing opposition to data centers

Against the backdrop of 100 ongoing projects, a concrete construction of natural habitats, a destruction of local biodiversity, and agricultural land being erased from the map, these infrastructures are considered an ecological absurdity pointed out by the Environmental Authority.

Digital sovereignty and foreign investment

The great myth of "digital sovereignty" But then, why such a sacrifice? The main argument is raised as a political banner: ensuring France's digital sovereignty against American and Chinese giants. However, the financial and technological reality tells a completely different story.

Foreign ownership and technological dependence

The figures of Campus IA speak for themselves: the state is present through Bpifrance (25%), and the French unicorn Mistral AI holds 5%. But the master of the clock is MGX. This investment fund from the United Arab Emirates, very close to Silicon Valley and Donald Trump, finances 70% of the project.

Dependence on foreign technology

In terms of equipment, the dependence is just as total. The indispensable processors come from the American giant Nvidia, and Mistral is already renting Microsoft's supercomputers to train its models. "We will have no control over what happens in these centers. Where is the digital sovereignty in this?" fumes Jean-François Dupont, France Nature Environnement representative, whose group opposes the project.

Public resistance and calls for action

The citizen uprising is organizing against the urgency. On the GreenVoice site, mobilizations of residents and farmers are multiplying. This Sunday, 14 collectives from all over France launched a joint call to "enter into resistance against data centers." They demand a moratorium and a democratic debate on national data center projects.

The paradox of progress and preservation

But the paradox is global: are we ready to sacrifice our fields, our vineyards, and our meadows to feed a virtual world? Find our full analysis in the video "Planète C" at the top of the article, on the 20 Minutes YouTube channel and on the website 20minutes.fr.