Greenock Data Centre Plans Unveiled Amid Growing Demand for AI Infrastructure
A proposal to transform part of the former IBM site at Greenock into a major data centre has been submitted to Inverclyde Council. The plans, submitted by Slate Island Developments, aim to bring long-vacant brownfield land back into productive use.
Data centres provide critical digital infrastructure underpinning an increasing part of everyday life, supporting everything from cloud computing and online services to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI). Scotland is considered well placed to attract data centre investment due to its renewable energy resources, digital connectivity, and climate, which can help reduce cooling requirements.
The indicative proposals include four data centre buildings providing around 80,000 square metres of floorspace, alongside landscaping, parking, and 'sustainable drainage infrastructure'. The majority of existing woodland would be retained. A separately proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) would also form part of the development.