Plans in for Greenock data centre 

Developer Slate Island Developments has submitted plans to Inverclyde Council to transform part of Greenock’s former IBM site into a major data centre scheme. 

Opened in 1954, IBM’s Spango Valley operation closed in 2017, and the buildings were demolished in 2020. 

Slate Island Developments is now looking to regenerate part of the former technology and industrial site for the purpose of modern digital infrastructure. 

The proposals include four data centre buildings covering around 80,000m², as well as landscaping, parking and sustainable drainage infrastructure.  

The Scottish Government has acknowledged the strategic significance of data centres to Scotland’s digital economy and their capacity to aid regional economic development. 

A spokesperson for Slate Island Developments Ltd said: “Spango Valley has a proud history as a centre for technology and employment in Inverclyde, and these proposals offer an exciting opportunity to open a new chapter for this important site. 

“There is now strong interest from the data centre sector, providing a real opportunity to bring this long-vacant brownfield site back into productive use. 

“Data centres are becoming an increasingly important part of the infrastructure underpinning our economy, supporting everything from everyday digital services to cloud computing and artificial intelligence.”