France Aims for AI Leadership with Nuclear Energy Strategy

France displays its intentions to become a leader in powering AI with nuclear as they sign a deal with leading UK AI cloud company, Fluidstack to host AI computing in their country by 2026. Fluidstack is a driving force in the AI industry with the intention of bringing digital sovereignty to France.

The French Minister of Economy, Industry and Energy, and Fluidstack President César Maklary signed Phase 1, securing the intentions of both parties along with a EUR10 billion-dollar initial investment.

Fluidstack and French Ministers gather around phase one memorandum of understanding. Image by Fluidstack.

France aims to use this as an opportunity to create a commodity in energy abundant intelligence. As of today, France has paved the way to proving nuclear reliance successful and will aim to use the abundant energy source to lead the way on computing power advancements. Now, France is taking the opportunity to lead the way in intelligence data collection and the export of computing power.

“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,” Macron said.

“We have a role to play because our nuclear energy is controllable, safe, stable, and decarbonized—ideal for expanding our AI computing capabilities. This €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,” he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron says that Europe was “back in the race” for AI after unveiling €109 billion in investments over “the coming years” (Credit: Politico.eu).

Fluidstack adds that the deal in involve 500,000 next generation AI chips to allow for over 1 GW of scalable computing power. This would become one of the largest AI model computers that are available in the world today.

“The new facility will leverage France’s abundant, carbon-free, and predominantly nuclear energy to provide up to 1 gigawatt of dedicated AI compute power, reinforcing the country’s leadership in AI infrastructure, energy security, and digital sovereignty,” Fluidstack said. “Designed for scalable expansion beyond 1 GW by 2028, this project positions France as a premier global AI hub, offering unparalleled compute capacity for next-generation AI models.”

It added: “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 [grid operator] 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.”

Maklary added: “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, and I very am proud to be playing a key part in this initiative.”

Leading nuclear power company in France, Électricité de France (EDF) has pre-identified four industrial sites on its own land, with a total available power estimated at 2 GW. The identification of land spaces continues with the goal of selecting two additional sites by 2026, it noted.

“In France, thanks to EDF and its mix mainly composed of nuclear and renewables, our electricity is abundant, competitive, and low-carbon,” said Stéphane Raison, EDF’s director in charge of the installation of large consumption sites. “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.”