Amazon looking to acquire old Bridgend plant

Amazon is looking to acquire the old Ford engine plant to help expand its data centre presence.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is looking to acquire the old Ford engine plant in Bridgend, Wales.

The deal is still pending. The site’s current electricity connection to the National Grid has contributed to its appeal, especially for data centers that demand secure and substantial energy resources. This aligns with AWS’ strategy of expanding its capacity within the UK.

The site has been put up for sale by Ford and marketed by property advisory firm CBRE. Ford appointed CBRE after ending its 40-year engine production in 2020.

Situated near the M4 motorway, the engine plant covers an extensive area of 1.7 million square feet, with the entire land site spanning over 158 acres.

Amazon intends to construct a new data centre on the site, potentially demolitioning the existing main building. To align with its sustainability objectives, Amazon could explore using its own renewable technologies at the location, such as wind and solar power. Currently, there is a small amount of renewable infrastructure at the site, which was previously utilized by Ford.

In 2019, Amazon made a significant commitment to transition its operations to rely entirely on renewable energy by 2030. And they are now making substantial progress, currently on track to achieve this goal even earlier, by the year 2025.