Azur Datacenter is set to turn a former solar panel factory in Lyon, France, into a data center.

The company has acquired the 4,660 sqm (50,159 sq ft) building at the Meyzieu Industrial Park, on the eastern edge of Lyon.

Set on a 12,500 sqm (134,548 sq ft) plot, the building was previously occupied by mylight150, a solar energy equipment manufacturer that vacated the site a few months ago.

Azur Datacenter expects the data center to be up and running before the end of the year, according to DC Mag, which first reported the news.

Founded in 2010, Azur Datacenter operates colo data centers across France, and is expanding its network to cater for AI and HPC workloads.

Existing data centers include sites in Sophia Antipolis, outside Cannes, and in the Croissy Beaubourg suburb of Paris.

According to DC Mag, the company is developing several other sites for data centers, including one in Béthune, northern France.