Plan for ‘strategically significant’ plant to become AI data centre
Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter
An abandoned former chemical plant in a “strategically important” industrial site on the Anglesey coast could become an AI data centre.
The Octel site at Amlwch Port has had a long industrial history and was previously used to produce bromine from seawater used as an addition in petrol engines.
The 61-acre site has lain empty since closure in 2004, but could now have a new lease of life and create jobs.
Anglesey County Council is being asked to consider a full application for the change of use of the site.
The site and wider area in north east Wales are given tax site status as part of the Anglesey Freeport, meaning any businesses that set up there can benefit from various tax breaks.
The new submission has been made by Patrick Hughes, of Carbon3. AI through the agent Richard Kevan.
In a letter from Mr Kevan, of Egniol Consulting Ltd, it stated that Carbon3. AI was seeking consent to re-purpose the existing structures as a “modern, energy-efficient AI centre, delivering a high-capacity, secure and low-carbon AI computing facility”.
This, it said, was “in direct support of the UK Government’s recent designation of north Wales as a national ‘AI Growth Zone’, recognising Anglesey as a strategically important location for next-generation digital infrastructure”.
It stated that the proposed AI Centre represented “a high-value, B-class (industrial or business activities) compatible employment use and will make productive reuse of a large, under-utilised brownfield site within Amlwch Port”.
A summary of the proposal also describes a “high-quality” AI Centre containing modular data-hall floorspace and technical plant which would include “secure, low-impact digital infrastructure facility with very low operational traffic”.
The plans would see a regeneration of the “significant, previously developed employment site” at Amlwch Port.
It noted this could provide “economic and technological benefits” in line with national and local planning policy.
A planning support document describes the “adaptation and reuse” of existing buildings within the industrial complex.
This would “enable the delivery of a modern, energy-efficient AI centre that would provide secure, sustainable and high-capacity computing infrastructure in support of the UK’s digital and AI sectors”.
It also noted that in November 2025, the UK Government announced that North Wales has been designated a new “AI Growth Zone”.
Digital infrastructure
The region, including Anglesey, had been “identified as a nationally significant location for next generation digital infrastructure and high-capacity AI computing investment”.
It added: “The Growth Zone is intended to accelerate delivery of strategic data-centre projects through enhanced planning support, targeted skills initiatives and improved energy-infrastructure coordination, with the potential to unlock more than 3,400 new jobs and up to £100 billion in investment over the coming decade.
“The proposed Amlwch Port AI Centre aligns directly with this policy priority, providing one of the first schemes capable of supporting the Government’s ambition to establish North Wales as a leading UK hub for AI, advanced computation and low-carbon digital technology.”
The proposal states the proposal represents “a major step in Carbon3.AI’s national programme to establish a distributed network of secure, sovereign and energy-efficient data-processing facilities across the UK”.
It added that Amlwch Port presented “a unique and highly suitable location for this form of development”.
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Bizarre, given no large-capacity grid connection suitable for an AI data centre at the site. This will take years to negotiate, maybe this is a long term project, aiming for installation in 10 years time or so. However, it would be really good to see the site repurposed
As a long-term project it’s dead in the water; the entire “AI” grift is going to implode this year, possibly even within the next six months, because not a single firm involved has any route to the kind of profit generation they would require in order to service their debt. The circular financing that’s used for their accounting statements only goes so far and sooner or later, the bedrock debt that this smoke and mirror performance is obfuscating will come due when the financiers get tired of waiting for a big payout that will never arrive. It’ll only take one… Read more »
Yeah, not gonna benefit anyone apart from the investors.
These zones should have been shut down.
Shouldn’t build it there as new new new research has found it will be under water before the end of January 2026 due to global warming sorry sorry must use those words must use new buzz words climate change.
Cymru has a lot of potable water, & excess electricity (for our needs not England). I expect a lot of data centres to be build here in the coming years… Expect our water prices to go up, potential water shortages at times & most profits to go overseas. Annibyniaeth has never been more attractive.