An 18MW AI-ready facility is being developed in partnership with DC Max, a French data centre developer.
Phoenix Group PLC (ADX: PHX), part of the IHC portfolio and a global digital infrastructure operator, has announced a strategic partnership with DC Max to develop its first European AI data centre — an 18MW facility in Lyon, France.
The project marks the first deployment under Phoenix’s European Data Center Platform, a scalable framework aimed at delivering more than 1GW of combined AI and high-performance computing (HPC) capacity across Europe and the GCC.
Phoenix Group views the initiative as an extension of the UAE’s national AI ambitions, positioning an Abu Dhabi-based operator as an active builder in global AI infrastructure rather than a bystander. The company aims to bring its operational expertise and capital to the European market through this expansion.
Munaf Ali, Co-Founder and GCEO of Phoenix Group, described the announcement as a major milestone, stating that the company is establishing a strong presence in European AI infrastructure and targeting long-term value creation. He added that the 1GW goal represents a starting point rather than a limit, highlighting the strategic importance of the move for the company and its stakeholders.
The European opportunity
Demand for AI computing capacity in Europe is growing rapidly, with enterprises and hyperscalers increasingly securing capacity years in advance. However, traditional data centre development timelines of 36 to 48 months make it difficult for operators to keep pace with this accelerating demand.
France helps bridge this gap more effectively than many other European markets. Lyon, the country’s second-largest city, offers a strong industrial ecosystem, reliable power infrastructure, and significantly lower land costs compared to Paris, making it an attractive location for large-scale development.
DC Max’s established grid access and permitting relationships, combined with Phoenix’s proven expertise in designing, procuring, and building infrastructure at speed, enable the partnership to operate significantly faster than typical European development timelines.
A platform, not a project
The collaboration with DC Max is designed as a repeatable development model rather than a one-off transaction. With a pipeline exceeding 1GW of opportunities valued at approximately $8 billion, DC Max brings strong capabilities in site origination, permitting, and grid access, while Phoenix contributes capital strength and operational scale.
Together, both companies aim to build a scalable, long-term infrastructure platform capable of rapidly delivering AI-ready capacity across key European markets.
This platform complements Phoenix’s existing 550MW of deployed capacity across the UAE, Oman, North America, and Ethiopia, reinforcing its ambition to become a globally scaled digital infrastructure operator.
Romain Fremont, CEO of DC Max, said that Phoenix brings the operational scale and capital discipline that French data centre development has long needed. He noted that DC Max has already spent years identifying and securing strong power positions across France, including Lyon, and that the partnership now enables those assets to be developed at a pace and scale that would not have been possible independently. He added that demand, suitable sites, and delivery capability are now aligned through this collaboration.
Further announcements are expected in 2026.
Phoenix Group PLC (ADX: PHX), an IHC portfolio company, is a global digital infrastructure operator headquartered in Abu Dhabi and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. The company operates more than 550MW of capacity across the UAE, Oman, North America, East Africa, and Europe. Founded in 2017, Phoenix initially built its capabilities in energy-intensive Bitcoin mining and now applies that operational expertise to AI and high-performance computing infrastructure at scale.
DC Max is a data centre investor, developer, and operator with a portfolio of around 2GW of capacity. It develops digital infrastructure ranging from edge facilities to large-scale campuses supporting cloud, AI, and high-performance computing. Backed by a group with more than €6 billion in investment experience, DC Max combines financial discipline with technical expertise.
