Data centre operator Data4, owned by Canada-based Brookfield, has signed a 12-year Nuclear Production Allocation Contract (NPAC) with EDF, becoming the first data centre operator in France to secure direct access to nuclear generation. This allocates 40 MWe of capacity from EDF’s reactor fleet, with deliveries starting in 2026. Data4 will receive approximately 230 GWh of nuclear electricity annually, with pricing tied to reactor performance rather than market rates.
The arrangement operates through a cost and risk-sharing mechanism based on actual volumes produced, bypassing traditional electricity markets. Data4 gets a fixed share of nuclear production while EDF secures long-term revenue from its reactors.
Data4, established in 2006 by Colony Capital (now DigitalBridge) and owned by Brookfield since April 2023, currently operates more than 30 data centres in France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany, and Greece, totalling around 1.5 GWe. The company is set to invest some €15bn ($17.5bn) expanding in France over the next five years and plans to increase its workforce by 66% in 2025. This follows a 30% growth in 2024, as part of its strategy to position France as an AI hub.
Data centres in France will now be partly powered through the NPAC, in addition to the long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) Data4 already has in place for solar and wind energy. This creates a portfolio that combines variable renewable generation with nuclear baseload power, providing the continuous supply that data centres require to maintain server operations.
“This initiative is fully aligned with EDF’s commitment to supporting the development of data centres in France and contributing to the country’s energy and industrial sovereignty,” said EDF Group Executive Director Marc Benayoun. “This partnership will enable Data4 to benefit from a low-carbon, competitive and available electricity supply, which is a key asset for digital players.”
EDF earlier offered data centre operators access to suitable sites on its own land for developing new campuses, with “a favourable situation” for connection to the grid, reducing the time required to complete projects by several years. EDF is also a partner in the massive AI data centre campus to be built near Paris, announced earlier this year. The 1.4 GWe site is the result of a joint venture formed by Nvidia, Mistral AI, the French national investment bank, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) investment fund MGX. It is scheduled to be online by 2028.
“We are extremely proud to sign this first low-carbon NPAC with EDF, a long-standing partner and a key player in France’s energy transition,” said François Stérin, Chief Operating Officer of Data4. “This contract is not only a strong environmental commitment; it is also a cornerstone of our growth and competitiveness strategy.”
He added: “Combined with renewable energy purchase agreements, it guarantees reliable, resilient, and continuous access to low-carbon energy at a controlled long-term cost: a considerable advantage for our clients and the development of our infrastructure.”
The nuclear supply agreement is one of the first in the European market, with the majority of major deals involving traditional nuclear operators, primarily in the US market. Meta, Microsoft, and AWS have all signed long-term PPAs to offtake power from large-scale nuclear plants in the US. However, in August data centre developer Equinix signed deals with two European advanced nuclear companies, agreeing to offtake 250 MW from ULC-Energy in the Netherlands, and 500 MW from Stellaria in France.
