Former IBM Site Set for New Data Centre Development

Slate Island Developments Ltd has applied to Inverclyde Council for a major data centre development at Spango Valley, off Inverkip Road.

IBM opened its Spango Valley operation on the site in 1954. The facility eventually closed in 2017, with the remaining buildings demolished in 2020.

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

The indicative proposals include four data centre buildings providing around 80,000 sq m of floorspace. The development would also include landscaping, parking and sustainable drainage infrastructure.

Most of the existing woodland would be retained, particularly areas around the boundaries of the site.

The proposed data centre development would form part of a wider project that also includes a separately proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

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.

“Scotland is exceptionally well placed to benefit from this rapidly growing sector, with the Scottish Government recognising the strategic importance of green data centres to our future economy.

“For Greenock, this is an opportunity to bring technology and investment back to a site synonymous with both for generations, while securing a sustainable and deliverable future for Spango Valley.

“We have engaged extensively with Inverclyde Council and the local community as the proposals have developed and look forward to continuing that dialogue as the application progresses.”