Former Unilever factory to become data centre
PP O’Connor has begun demolition at the Warrington Bank Quay site, with new owner Dante FS Group aiming to submit a planning application before Christmas.
The former Unilever plant had been on the market since 2021, having shut down the year before after 130 years of manufacturing on the site. CBRE had been marketing the seven-acre plot ever since. Approval for the 18-month demolition programme was granted in 2024 in an effort to make the site more attractive to potential buyers.
Based in Warrington, Dante FS Group boasted a turnover of £13.4m for the financial year ending March 2024, the latest record on Companies House. The company started as a fire and security specialist, but has since branched out into project management, M&E, building services, and, now, data centres.
Dante subsidiary Platform Data Centres UK will lead the development of the proposed up to 260,000 sq ft data centre in Warrington, which would be known as Platform @Bank Quay. The newly created company was incorporated in September.
“Platform @Bank Quay is more than just a data centre,” said Platform director Neil Rustage.
“Our approach allows for bespoke infrastructure to support hyperscalers and research institutions as the UK accelerates its adoption of next-generation AI and high-performance computing technologies.”
The proposed data centre would be powered from multiple sources, with the group considering utilising hydrogen from HyNet.
Dante managing director Paul Iceton stated: “We will be utilising highly innovative and sustainable cooling technologies to diminish our energy consumption. There is growing demand for sustainable data infrastructure of this type, supporting cloud services, enterprise computing and AI workloads.”
Warrington Council interim chief executive Steve Park chimed in: “It is fitting that a site that was once at the forefront of chemical engineering is now leading innovation in the modern economy.
“Once up and running, it will fuel our employers’ hunger for data analytics and be a key driver of the town’s economic growth,” he continued.
“It is especially pleasing to see the intention to use local supply chain networks, where possible, to boost the impact of this investment on our communities.”
Bermans was the solicitor for Dante on the site acquisition. Scribe Construction Management Services is providing project and contract management services for the developer.
The North has become an attractive site for data centre developers of late, with Blackpool Council launching its planning application for the first £60m Silicon Sands data centre last week. BMW pension fund is also flirting with building a 280,000 sq ft data centre in Trafford Park. Earlier in the year, Digital Land & Development had secured approval for a 66,300 sq ft data centre off Liverpool Road in Salford.
Glad the old landmark is being replaced, but hope it doesn’t jepodise the Bank Quay NPR station design, access and construction.
By Wolfie
Looks exciting! Do they still have a grid connection and how much power import? Might pip a few of the usual suspects to the post…..
By Annie Baines
Was this the Joseph Crofield site I worked there in the seventies and the main entrance had a protected stair case?
By Rex Taylor
Data data data… Not really production of anything valuable to use is it.. only going to be used and sold.. but not for the benefit of locals.. not going to employ many.. why such a central useful site
By Anonymous
As industries go, no mention of the relatively few jobs in new industries like data centres. We certainly cannot put the clock back or even stop, but our younger generations have less and less job opportunities , apart from zero hours contracts in fast food and supermarkets
By John bruce
Having a data centre on your doorstep is not good.
By Bernard Fender
Pointless land use – the AI bubble will burst and then these white elephants will sit empty, padding out the leveraged portfolios of their owners. More replacement of productive industrial space with pointless rent-seeking space, too. Fun times !
By John Smith
A company that turned over less than 14m to a company that is going to construct a 600m data center….. yeah right…… I work on them all over Europe…..
By Anonymous
On a simple and conservative estimate, a hyperscale AI data centre would require around 53 MW of power. To put that into perspective, that’s roughly equivalent to the electricity consumption of 15,000 homes.
The challenge is that the UK grid is already under strain. Current de-rated generation capacity is about 71.7 GW, while peak winter demand can reach 61 GW—leaving a narrow margin for security of supply. Adding multiple hyperscale facilities (each 50+ MW) could quickly consume this headroom. The government’s own projections show data centre power demand could increase six-fold in the next decade, driven by AI and cloud growth.
While on-site renewables can help, there will always be days when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. These facilities demand 99.999% uptime, leaving virtually no room for blackouts. Backup diesel generators and battery systems are common, but they don’t solve the underlying grid constraint.
I fully support the creation of jobs and the advancement of technology and these centres enable many well-paid tech roles. However, our high-voltage transmission network is not currently equipped for this scale of demand, and significant upgrades will be needed. The government’s “Great Grid Upgrade” and AI Growth Zones strategy aim to accelerate connections, but these changes will take years to implement.
So reflect on the above when the bunch of sound bite quislings we have malevolently marauding over us start making statements about AI they cannot deliver.
By Steve5839
I hope that our electricity bills do not quadruple as they have in places where these centres have been built and that our water sources are protected
By Anonymous