Across Europe, 29,000 graphics processing units will be deployed by the end of the year as Neocloud Antimatter and CloudGrid Energy finalize a €580 million contract for 280 Policloud units. The agreement aims to provide affordable, high-performance computing infrastructure to European companies, a resource previously dominated by major global digital players. These units, powered by 35 megawatts of renewable energy sourced from sites in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden, will facilitate the development and operation of open-source AI models including Mistral, Nemo, and Magistral. This infrastructure will address a growing strain on hyperscaler capacity; Microsoft currently reports approximately $80 billion worth of unfulfilled Azure contracts due to limited energy access. According to Deloitte, inference is expected to account for around two-thirds of the global demand for AI computing, compared to one-third in 2024.
Policloud and CloudGrid Energy’s €580 Million Decentralized Computing Agreement
A €580 million agreement between Policloud and CloudGrid Energy signals a substantial investment in decentralized computing capacity across Europe, promising to alleviate pressure on increasingly strained hyperscaler resources. Sixteen locations have already been secured, with the first unit already operational at the Bonne Voisine site in the Aube region of France, demonstrating rapid progress toward the 18-month deployment timeline. Deloitte forecasts that inference will account for approximately two-thirds of global AI computing demand by 2026, up from one-third in 2024, highlighting the urgency of expanding available capacity. Microsoft has reported around $80 billion in unfulfilled Azure contracts, largely due to energy limitations, further underscoring the need for alternative solutions.
Policloud’s distributed model, situated near energy production sites, aims to offer measurable gains in latency, resilience, and operating costs compared to traditional hyperscale architectures, while also ensuring a local, decarbonized energy supply. “With CloudGrid Energy, we are deploying distributed computing infrastructure where renewable energy is produced and connected—locally and efficiently,” a company representative stated. The partnership also includes Urbasolar, a leading photovoltaic energy producer, providing access to its solar plants and managing installation processes. Eric Reisse, President of CloudGrid Energy, added, “Our ambition is to build a sovereign European computing network, site by site, in close partnership with energy producers.” The project has attracted investment from INRIA, the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology, and One Ragtime, a venture capital firm focused on European tech, demonstrating broad support for the vision of a localized, sustainable computing ecosystem.
European digital sovereignty is not declared-it is built site by site. With CloudGrid Energy, we are deploying distributed computing infrastructure where renewable energy is produced and connected-locally and efficiently. Our approach significantly accelerates access for SMEs, startups, and European entrepreneurs to the resources needed to develop sovereign AI solutions, fulfilling our mission to make AI accessible to as many people as possible.
David Gurlé, Founder and CEO of Antimatter and Policloud
