The proposed partnership, which will be jointly owned on a 50-50 basis, is expected to develop data centre infrastructure with a target capacity of 400 megawatts (MW)—almost ten times Orange's current capacity in France.
According to the companies, the ambitious expansion will be backed by a €3 billion investment programme, combining Orange's existing infrastructure assets, equity funding from Morrison, and debt financing to support future growth.
As part of the agreement, Orange will contribute five of its existing data centres in France to the new platform, while Morrison will inject capital to help finance expansion and strengthen the venture's long-term development.
The companies said the initiative is designed to meet the rapidly growing demand for digital infrastructure driven by the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence technologies, cloud services, and data-intensive applications across Europe.
The joint venture also reflects the rising need for modern, energy-efficient data centres capable of supporting businesses, governments, and technology providers as AI workloads continue to expand.
Orange and Morrison expect to sign the transaction by the end of 2026, with completion targeted for the first quarter of 2027, subject to obtaining the necessary regulatory and other approvals.
Once finalized, the partnership is expected to strengthen France's digital infrastructure and enhance its capacity to support the next generation of AI and cloud computing services while positioning both companies to capitalize on growing demand in the sector.