Microsoft has filed plans for a data center in Rennes, France.

The data center is proposed for the La Janais plant site, known for manufacturing cars.

The project is still in very early stages, with Microsoft having made initial contracts with the municipality of Chartres de Bretagne for the "mega" data center.

Details about the data center have not yet been shared, and the proposal is facing some backlash.

The plant site was built in 1961 for Citroen cars, and was acquired by the PSA Group in 1976 when Peugeot took a majority stake in Citroen. In January 2021, PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles merged to form Stellantis which remains at the site.

Other plans for the location include Safran's aircraft engine parts production plant, which is expected in 2027.

According to Rennes Métropole president Nathalie Appéré, the La Janais site is hoped to become a "4.0 activity zone, a place to welcome the industry of tomorrow... for sustainable construction and carbon-free mobility."

Appéré went on to say of the Microsoft data center, however, that La Janais "is not intended to accommodate this type of activity, beyond its inability to accommodate activities that consume such land."

Microsoft is reportedly also exploring sites in Normandy, Aquitaine, and Brittany, should the La Janais proposal be refused.

Towards the end of 2023, Microsoft established a Cybersecurity School in Rennes in collaboration with Cimplon, Metsys, Advens, and the Roullier group.

Microsoft currently has an Azure cloud region housed in Paris called "France Central." It is comprised of three availability zones.