Land at the Port of Dunkirk in northern France could host an AI data center.

The Dunkirk Port Authority has put out a call for expressions of interest (AMI) in developing a 21-hectare plot in the port’s Large Industry Zone. The site once hosted a refinery, but is now vacant.

Any developer taking it on will benefit from a power connection of between 400MW and 700MW provided by utility company RTE. The power will be delivered from the Flanders Maritimes substation, which is located three kilometres from the site and is currently under construction. The winning bidder will be responsible for building a transformer substation on a reserved parcel of land next to the data center site.

Once a connection agreement is signed, the power will be available within three to four years, RTE said. The site has been designated a high-priority site for rapid connection by France’s Energy Regulatory Commission, which aims to get large projects online quickly. To qualify for this, the data center must consume at least 400MW.

France is in the midst of a major AI data center build-out, and many brownfield industrial sites in northern France, like the port, have been identified as potential locations.

These include a former sugar factory in Caen and a steelworks near Valenciennes. A 1.4GW data center could also be constructed on land between Paris and Lille.

Dunkirk is not currently a major data center market, though in 2024, it was reported that Microsoft was looking to build a facility at Quaëdypre in Hauts de Flandre, just outside the city.

The deadline for registering for the AMI is May 15, 2026.