A data center project, which could be completed by 2030, is being carried out by Provence Studios in the fifteenth district of Marseille. The company, originally based in Martigues, plans to open a large cinema city spanning several hectares in place of the former industrial wasteland that once housed the Saint-Louis Sucre factory.
There was a time when the Saint-Louis neighborhood in the fifteenth district of Marseille was alive with the rhythm of the sugar refinery of the same name. Before its decline in the 1970s, the factory, established in the 19th century, employed up to 1200 people. Today, the site, which became an industrial wasteland in 2015, is at the center of a project to set up a cinema city. It also includes a data center, as revealed by the online newspaper Marsactu on Thursday, April 23.
According to documents seen by the news media, Provence Studios, with its studios in Martigues, plans to build a huge complex for the film industry and education after winning a government tender, also includes the creation of a large data center. The CEO of Provence Studios, Michaël Ristorcelli, confirms the information to Marsactu. The data center would support the project technically and financially, as Provence Studios intends to rent servers to other companies.
This new data center, which may be operational by 2030 along with the cinema city, could be one of the largest in Marseille in terms of its size. This is a significant topic in a neighborhood filled with residences, as data centers, which house massive amounts of online information, are becoming more prevalent in Marseille. In the past decade, around ten data centers have sprung up across the city. The one proposed by Provence Studios would have a capacity of 30 megawatts, roughly equivalent to the electricity consumption of a town of around 25,000 inhabitants.
Before any construction permits are granted, a public inquiry will determine “the impact on the neighborhood in terms of quality of life and employment, particularly among our youth,” states Jean-Marc Coppola, mayor (PCF) of the 15th and 16th districts. The final decision will not be rushed, and meetings with project developers will occur before administrative decisions are made.
The installation of the data center has raised concerns due to its colossal size, larger than initially presented. The future data center is expected to cover 6300 square meters on the ground, with three floors dedicated to servers, occupying over 15,000 square meters. This project arises from the acquisition of the 10-hectare Saint-Louis Sucre refinery by Brownfields in early 2022.
The original sales agreement between Foncière Saint-Louis and Brownfields outlined a data center project covering 3000 square meters, less than the current ambition as reported by Marsactu. Any deviations from this initial plan could result in a price increase per square meter. Further details will be announced once the project development progresses. Residents will have the opportunity to express their opinions in the coming weeks as the dossier remains under review.
