Google has bought 195 hectares through its subsidiary Tricolore Computing in the Ozans business area of Châteauroux Métropole for a proposed large data centre near Étrechet, Le Figaro reports. As the proposal takes shape, the newspaper says opposition groups have emerged and Google is exploring heat recovery and support for charging infrastructure to win over local residents.
The purchase covers about half of the Ozans business area, according to Le Figaro. That gives the proposed development a substantial local footprint, while leaving the public debate focused on how its promised benefits would work in practice.
Heat recovery and charging-point support may offer useful local links to the project, but the newspaper does not provide their scale, funding, beneficiaries or timetable. Nor does the supplied report set out the project’s expected energy or water use, construction schedule, employment effects, or permit status.
That makes the next phase more than a question of land ownership. The project’s local acceptance will depend on whether future planning, environmental and public-consultation documents explain the resources involved and turn proposed measures into assessable commitments. The case is a test of whether a major digital-infrastructure investment can make its local case with details proportionate to its footprint.
Sources
- Le Figaro Actualités · Source date: 2026-11-13
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-13