Orange and Morrison Form Data Center Joint Venture
French telecommunications company Orange and infrastructure investment firm Morrison have announced plans to establish a joint venture focused on data centers within France. The collaboration aims to significantly increase data processing capacity to address the escalating requirements of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing services.
This 50-50 partnership is projected to achieve a capacity of 400 megawatts, which represents nearly a tenfold increase compared to Orange's current operational levels. The venture will be supported by an investment program totaling €3 billion, equivalent to approximately $3.41 billion. This funding will be sourced from a combination of existing Orange assets, capital provided by Morrison, and additional debt financing.
Under the terms of the agreement, Orange will contribute five of its existing data centers located in France. Morrison, in turn, will supply equity funding to facilitate the expansion and growth of the new platform. The companies anticipate finalizing the transaction by the close of 2026, with completion expected in the first quarter of 2027, pending necessary regulatory approvals.
