Former Fawley coal power station site near Southampton (UK) considered for conversion into large-scale data center campus.

Fawley Waterside Limited has unveiled plans to develop a mixed-use industrial and commercial campus on the former Fawley Power Station site outside Southampton, UK. The 143,000 sqm (1.539 million sq ft) development—reduced from an initial 190,000 sqm (2.045 million sq ft) following consultation with local residents—will integrate energy, digital, maritime, commercial, and start-up facilities. Digital industries targeted for the campus include data centers, AI, advanced computing, software, and cybersecurity. While the precise number and scale of planned data centers have not been disclosed, site plans indicate three large buildings and several smaller structures are under consideration. Construction could begin in winter 2028.

The revised masterplan follows an initial proposal introduced in June. National Grid is preparing a submission to Ofgem seeking approval to upgrade the existing substation at the site.

The Fawley Power Station, a 2GW oil-fired facility, opened in 1971 on the western shore of Southampton Water in Hampshire. Designed as one of the "Hinton Heavies"—a class of large power stations built during that era—it operated until RWE decommissioned it in 2013. In 2017, developers announced an alternative vision for the site: a new residential town called Fawley Waterside comprising 1,500 units with a projected value of £1 billion ($1.3bn). That plan was shelved in 2024, however, after the developers determined it was "not financially viable."