Data Centers in Rouen

Rouen – Strategic Colocation for Northern France

Executive Summary

Rouen is an effective secondary market for businesses that require a strategic presence in Northern France without the premium cost of Paris. It provides a solid platform for disaster recovery, regional service delivery, and latency-sensitive applications serving the Normandy region and cross-channel routes. This market enables reliable digital infrastructure in a cost-effective and low-risk environment.

Rouen: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Rouen's connectivity ecosystem is well-suited for regional distribution and provides reliable access to national and international networks, primarily through its proximity to Paris.

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality As of September 2025, the market includes 2 providers operating 6 data centers. While not as dense as Paris, these facilities offer access to key French and European carriers, providing sufficient options for redundancy and network resilience.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps There are no direct public cloud on-ramps located within Rouen as of September 2025. Secure, low-latency connections to all major clouds, including AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, are established via private network extensions to the main interconnection hub in Paris.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) Public peering is limited within Rouen. The majority of network interconnection occurs through private peering arrangements or via the major internet exchanges located in Paris, ensuring efficient traffic routing throughout France and Europe.

Bare Metal Bare metal server solutions are available, providing dedicated compute resources for performance-sensitive workloads. Providers such as OVHcloud offer services in the region, supporting custom hardware and high-throughput applications.

Power Analysis

Average Cost Of Power Industrial power costs in the Rouen area are estimated to be between €0.18 – €0.22/kWh, as of September 2025. This pricing, supported by France's stable grid, offers a predictable and competitive operational cost model for high-density deployments.

Power Grid Reliability The national power grid, with its significant nuclear energy component, is well-engineered and provides highly reliable power to the Normandy region. Data centers in Rouen benefit from this stability, with modern facilities typically designed with redundant connections to multiple grid substations.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Proximity To Key Business Districts Data centers in Rouen are strategically located to serve the vital industrial and port logistics sectors of the Seine Valley. They also support the commercial and administrative center of the Normandy region, providing low-latency access for local enterprises.

Regional Market Reach From Rouen, businesses can effectively serve millions of consumers across Northern France, including the major port of Le Havre and the city of Caen. The market also serves as an effective digital gateway for cross-channel traffic to the UK.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers France provides specific financial incentives that can benefit data center operators and their customers. Programs such as European Investment Bank loan financing for large digital infrastructure projects help reduce the long-term cost of colocation and encourage market growth.

Natural Disaster Risk

Rouen has a low overall natural disaster risk profile, with an INFORM Risk score of 2.7 out of 10 as of September 2025. While the general risk is minimal, operators should account for specific local conditions.

The primary environmental hazards to consider are river and coastal flooding, reflecting the city's location on the tidal River Seine. Other potential risks, such as earthquakes and drought, are rated as minimal and present a very low threat to data center operations.