France: LyonTech La Doua data center construction commences in France

Work has begun on the LyonTech La Doua Calculation and Data Center (CCDD) project in Villeurbanne, France. The University of Claude Bernard Lyon 1, collaborating with the National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (Lyon INSA) on the facility, has begun earthwork and structural development. The completed data center will encompass 34,400 square feet and contain 300 racks. The State-Regional Plan Contract has contributed $11.93 million towards the facility's budget. By the end of 2024, the facility's first phase should be operational with a PUE of 1.3.

According to the initial announcement of the data center by the University, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 40 percent compared to the current digital infrastructure. Enia Architectes designed the architecture of the data center, while APL, CET, Impulse, SMALL, and Acoustique&Conseil handled the engineering. The data center initiative is a component of a regional strategy known as "Convergence of Digital Infrastructures of Higher Education in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (CINAuRA).” It will adhere to the national regulations of pooling and integrating digital infrastructure for Higher Education and research.

The facility will be located on the 100-hectare campus of LyonTech-la Doua, which is intended to be the "number one site in France for teaching and research in collaboration with industry."

The campus focuses on nine disciplines: chemistry, catalysis, and process engineering; the environment, and sustainable development; communication science and information technology; biology, biochemistry, and health; energy, materials and their applications; mechanics and metrology; physics, mathematics, and earth science.