Data Centers in Lyon

Lyon – Strategic Hub for Southern Europe

Lyon is a primary data center market in France, offering a strategic alternative to Paris for reaching Southern Europe, Switzerland, and Italy. Its dense connectivity and stable power grid provide an ideal platform for enterprises requiring low-latency access to regional markets and robust disaster recovery solutions. This market ensures reliable performance and efficient distribution of digital services across the continent.

Lyon: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality: Lyon is a well-connected market with access to over 8 major network providers as of September 2025. The presence of multiple carrier-neutral facilities ensures competitive pricing and diverse routing options for building resilient network architectures.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps: There are no public cloud on-ramps located directly within Lyon as of September 2025. Businesses connect to cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud (GCP), and Microsoft Azure via dedicated private network extensions to the primary hubs in Paris or Marseille, ensuring secure, high-performance access.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): The city is served by LyonIX, a regional internet exchange point that facilitates efficient local traffic peering. This reduces latency for users in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and improves overall network performance by keeping traffic local.

Bare Metal: Bare metal server options are readily available in Lyon. Providers like OVHcloud offer dedicated server solutions that give businesses direct control over their hardware for performance-intensive workloads.

Power Analysis

Average Cost Of Power: Industrial electricity rates typically range from €0.15 to €0.19 per kWh as of September 2025. France's power generation is approximately 68% nuclear, which contributes to price stability and a lower carbon footprint for data center operations. This cost structure provides predictable operational expenses for high-density deployments.

Power Grid Reliability: The power grid supporting Lyon is highly reliable and benefits from France's well-maintained national transmission infrastructure. Data centers in the region are typically connected to redundant power sources and substations, ensuring high levels of uptime for critical operations.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Proximity To Key Business Districts: Data centers in Lyon are strategically located to serve the city's robust life sciences, chemical, and digital sectors. Proximity to these business hubs allows for low-latency connectivity essential for research, development, and digital service delivery.

Regional Market Reach: Lyon serves as a digital gateway to approximately 15 million people across Southern France, Switzerland, and Northern Italy. Its geographic position makes it an effective location for disaster recovery sites for businesses operating in Paris or Frankfurt.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers: France offers specific financial incentives for large-scale digital infrastructure projects. The government has previously supported data center development through mechanisms like European Investment Bank (EIB) loans, which can significantly reduce the capital expenditure for new builds or expansions.

Natural Disaster Risk

Lyon has a low overall risk profile for natural disasters, with an INFORM Risk score of 2.7 out of 10 as of September 2025. While the general threat level is minimal, operators should engineer facilities to account for specific regional hazards.

The most significant natural risks include:

• River Flood: Score of 7.5, indicating a notable risk from the Rhône and Saône rivers.
• Coastal Flood: Score of 7.4, reflecting a national, not local, risk. This is not a direct threat to the inland city of Lyon.
• Earthquake: Score of 2.8, indicating low but present seismic activity.
• Drought: Score of 1.6, representing a minor risk.