French cloud provider OVH lines up diesel generators to offset potential power cuts

STRASBOURG: OVHcloud, France’s biggest home grown cloud services provider, is bracing for potential power cuts later in the year by lining up diesel generators, its chief executive said on Monday.

Europe is striving to lower its dependence on Russia’s gas ahead of the coming winter in the wake of the war in Ukraine. While France relies less than its neighbours on Russian supplies, the government has warned businesses they may face power rationing and urged them to cut consumption.

OVHcloud is considered a vital infrastructure by the French government, and thus mostly shielded by potential power cuts. Still, the company is bracing for the worst, CEO Michel Paulin told reporters after unveiling a new data centre in the northeastern city of Strasbourg.