An industrial and data center campus is being proposed outside Southampton, UK.

Fawley Waterside Limited has put forward plans to turn the former Fawley Power Station site into an industrial and commercial campus, including potential data center developments.

The project is described as 143,000 sqm (1.539m sq ft) of floor space, reduced from 190,000 sqm (2.045m sq ft) after a consultation with local residents, and will have a mix of energy, digital, maritime, commercial, and start-up space.

Plans were first put forward in June, and a new masterplan has been detailed after a consultation period. Construction could start in winter 2028.

The developers said ‘digital industries’ could include data centers, AI, and advanced computing, software, and cybersecurity. The number and size of any planned data centers haven’t been shared, but site plans show three large buildings and a number of smaller buildings could be developed.

National Grid is preparing a submission to Ofgem to request approval for the upgrade of the existing substation at the site.

The 2GW Fawley Power Station was an oil-fired power station located on the western side of Southampton Water in Hampshire. One of the so-called Hinton Heavies, the plant launched in 1971 and was decommissioned by RWE in 2013.

In 2017, plans were announced to convert the site into a new town known as Fawley Waterside, totaling 1,500 residential units. The £1 billion ($1.3bn) project was shelved in 2024, however, after the developers said it was “not financially viable.”