Orange and global infrastructure investor Morrison are planning a jointly controlled French data centre company backed by a €3 billion (US$3.4 billion) investment programme. The proposed 50-50 venture would expand Orange’s domestic portfolio to 400MW, almost ten times its current capacity, as demand rises for sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure.
The transaction would combine existing operational assets with long-term institutional capital, creating a platform for enterprises, public bodies and data-intensive workloads hosted entirely in France.
Five Data Centres Form the Initial Platform
Orange would contribute five major data centres across four campuses in Chevilly-Larue, Aubervilliers, Chartres and Val-de-Reuil. It would also provide operational expertise, customer relationships and commercial reach, while Morrison would supply equity through its global value-add investment strategy.
The €3 billion programme would combine:
- Orange’s existing data centre assets
- Morrison’s equity contribution
- Additional debt financing
- Commercial distribution through Orange Business
Orange would retain operational control over areas used for its own platforms and services. The structure enables the telecoms group to increase external colocation capacity without disrupting infrastructure supporting its existing operations.
Capacity Target Reaches 400MW
The venture is targeting 400MW, representing a major expansion of Orange’s French footprint. New capacity would support cloud platforms, AI systems and other applications requiring secure, scalable infrastructure. The scale also gives the partners room to phase development in line with customer demand.
Orange Business is expected to become the exclusive distributor of the platform’s colocation and hosting services. Customers would include large enterprises, smaller businesses and public-sector organisations seeking infrastructure operated under French and European requirements.
“We are absolutely convinced that France will need sovereign, trusted digital infrastructure if it is to rise to the challenge of surging demand driven by cloud and artificial intelligence” said Christel Heydemann, Chief Executive Officer of the Orange group.
Sovereignty Shapes the Commercial Strategy
Locating the platform in France is intended to address growing demand for digital sovereignty. Organisations increasingly need clarity over where workloads are processed, how data is governed and which legal frameworks apply to critical systems.
The venture would also benefit from France’s relatively low-carbon electricity system. Orange and Morrison intend to pursue high standards of energy efficiency and environmental performance as capacity expands.
“Europe’s digital future will require significant new investment in trusted infrastructure capable of supporting the growth of cloud services, artificial intelligence and data-intensive applications. Together with Orange, we are contemplating the creation of a platform that combines strategic infrastructure assets, operational expertise and long-term capital to meet that challenge. We believe France is exceptionally well positioned to play a leading role in Europe’s digital economy, and this partnership represents an important step towards building the sovereign infrastructure needed to support future growth and competitiveness.”William Smales, Chief Investment Officer, Morrison.
For Morrison, the partnership provides access to established campuses and an experienced operator. For Orange, it creates a route to unlock value from existing infrastructure while funding a much larger development programme.
Closing Targeted for Early 2027
The transaction is expected to be signed by the end of 2026, subject to employee consultation and regulatory approvals. Closing is targeted for the first quarter of 2027.
If completed, the venture would create one of France’s most significant sovereign data centre platforms. Its importance lies in the combination of a US$3.4 billion investment, operational assets, institutional capital, enterprise distribution and a clear 400MW growth target.
Professionals at Morrisonglobal & Orange: Yasser Radwan Yannick Decaux Anthony ALONSO Nicolas Roy Vasile Voicu Andreea-Silvina Popescu (Ignat) Sheung Lau Stephane Senecal Ionut Scarlat Jamil Chawki, PhD Sean Kildea SEHROY FABRICE DOH Teodor Salceanu Vincent Gerritsen Marvin Richardson Keith Driver Pia Lambert, CFA William Smales Johanna Tyréus Gordon Hay Alex Badenoch Christina Eriksson Jacqui Stapleton
