France's AI Ambitions Fuel Conversion of Historic Sugar Refinery into Data Center
February 10, 2026
In a move emblematic of Europe's accelerating digital transformation, a derelict industrial site in northern France is poised for a high-tech rebirth. A former sugar refinery near the city of Caen is being targeted for conversion into a specialized artificial intelligence data center, highlighting the strategic repurposing of legacy infrastructure to meet soaring computational demands. According to local media reports, real estate developer Brown Fields is in negotiations to acquire the 33-hectare Saint Louis sugar factory in Cagny, located in the Calvados department. The developer, which specializes in environmentally conscious redevelopment of brownfield sites, plans to demolish the existing structures to construct a new facility dedicated to AI workloads.
The site, operational from 1950 until its closure in 2020, represents a significant redevelopment opportunity with an estimated cost between €15 and €20 million ($17.8-$23.8m). The project's viability is bolstered by critical existing infrastructure, including a nearby 220,000-volt power line and a direct connection to the Flamanville nuclear power station, providing a potential advantage in securing the massive and stable energy supply required for AI compute. A wastewater treatment plant is also present on the premises, though currently inactive. The negotiations are between Brown Fields and the landowner, Saint Louis Sucre, with whom the developer has a prior relationship, having converted part of another one of the company's factories in Marseille into a film studio.
This initiative aligns with a broader national strategy. The French government is actively pursuing a major AI data center build-out to increase national compute capacity. Last year, officials identified 35 "turn key" sites for large-scale AI facilities, though the Cagny location is not part of that official list. The potential conversion underscores a growing trend across the continent, where decommissioned industrial zones with robust power and water access are becoming prime targets for data center investors seeking to expand capacity rapidly and sustainably.
Source: datacenterdynamics
