PARIS (Reuters) – EDF is in talks with three companies to power their 1 gigawatt (GW) data centre projects in France, an executive at the French utility said on Thursday, as demand for the power-hungry operations booms on growing use of artificial intelligence.
State-owned EDF is the world’s largest producer of nuclear power, which is increasingly viewed as a potential source of clean energy for technology companies.
Marc Benayoun, executive director in charge of clients and territories at EDF, told a press briefing that the data centre projects were still seeking suitable sites.
He declined to comment on which companies were involved.
French electricity demand has not fully recovered from a pandemic-induced downturn and EDF is set to export up to 90 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity this year, Benayoun said.
EDF typically exports about 40 TWh a year but exports have jumped in 2024, helped also by lower prices than in markets such as Germany.
Future demand for electricity will come with transportation electricification as well as demand from industry and data centres, Benayoun added.
(Reporting by Benjamin Mallet; Writing by Makini Brice and Dominique Patton; Editing by David Goodman)
