EDF and OpCore, a joint venture between Iliad Group and funds managed by InfraVia Capital Partners, have entered into exclusive negotiations with a view to developing a data center of several hundred megawatts on the site of the former Montereau-Vallée-de-la-Seine thermal power plant, located in the municipalities of Vernou-La-Celle-sur-Seine and La Grande-Paroisse (wider Paris metropolitan region). This project represents an investment by OpCore of about €4 billion euros.
Scheduled for initial commissioning in 2027, the site is positioned to become a cornerstone of France and Europe’s artificial intelligence sector, enhancing digital sovereignty and supporting strategic computing requirements.
After several decades of operation, the EDF coal-fired power plant in Montereau-Vallée-de-la-Seine was permanently shut down in 2004. By choosing to rehabilitate this historic industrial site, EDF and OpCore are helping to restore economic activity, create local jobs and generate value for the local community, all while limiting the environmental impact of the project.
In a press release the initiative was described as an aspect of the EDF’s broader strategy to support digital companies by repurposing industrial sites for next-generation data infrastructure. As France’s third-largest industrial landowner, EDF provides prepared sites with accelerated access to the electricity grid, facilitating rapid project implementation.
Bernard Fontana, EDF CEO: “This partnership with OpCore accelerates next-generation infrastructure while strengthening France’s digital sovereignty.”
Thomas Reynaud, iliad CEO: “Montereau will become a site of excellence for AI computing and European innovation, reinforcing technological sovereignty and sustainable value.”