Oil plant closure brings major Wirral site to market

King Sturge has been instructed by D1 Oils to sell the 49-acre former bio-diesel complex on Wirral International Business Park, Bromborough.

The Dock Road South site is available on a part freehold/part long-leasehold basis and includes 158,000 sq ft of accommodation, including production facilities, warehousing, laboratories, and office and staff amenities. King Sturge said the facility also comes with a significant amount of in-situ plant and equipment which can be adapted for a number of related manufacturing purposes.

Since being built in the 1950s, the complex was a former Lubrizol 'heavy lubes' site, which was acquired by D1 Oils in January 2007 for production of bio-diesel. Market factors, including rising production costs and pressure from cheap imports, now mean it is uneconomic to produce bio fuel in the UK. D1 Oils is currently decommissioning the processing plant and equipment and will now concentrate on developing the industry in other parts of the world.

Helen Moss of King Sturge said: "Since the closure announcement, the site has attracted a good level of interest from both potential operators and from developers who see the site as a good opportunity to further develop the popular and well established, Wirral International Business Park."

Helen further comments that: "Whether the site it bought by an operator or a property developer, the sale provides an excellent opportunity to recreate employment at the site".