Inside AVK's UK Manufacturing Hub for AI Infrastructure

No data centre can operate without reliable power.

With that in mind, AVK has confirmed plans to open its first standalone UK manufacturing facility dedicated to producing modular power systems for hyperscale data centres.

The £3m (US$4m) investment will see the company establish a manufacturing site in Haydock, within the Liverpool City Region, where it will assemble its low and medium voltage PowerPods.

The pre-engineered, transportable systems are designed to accelerate data centre deployments by delivering integrated power infrastructure that can be manufactured off site before being installed on location.

Manufacturing for hyperscale growth

The new facility marks a significant expansion of AVK's UK operations as demand for AI-ready data centre infrastructure continues to rise across Britain and Europe.

Haydock was selected for its established engineering base and transport links, sitting adjacent to Junction 23 of the M6.

The location is intended to support efficient movement of both materials and completed PowerPods to customers across the UK and Europe.

Simon Davis, Head of Production Modular Services at AVK, said: "PowerPods complete our proposition to the data centre market, and Haydock gives us the dedicated home to build them at scale.

"This is a British business investing in British manufacturing and British skills, in a region with a proud industrial heritage.

"The facility will strengthen the UK's ability to power the AI economy while creating real opportunities for local people, apprentices and graduates for years to come."

The manufacturing plant is expected to create a substantial number of skilled jobs during its first year, with further recruitment anticipated as production increases.

Building the workforce behind AI

Around three quarters of the new positions will be technical and operational roles, including electrical and mechanical installation engineers, plant movement operatives and warehouse staff.

To support that pipeline, AVK has partnered with St Helens College to deliver engineering apprenticeships, work experience placements and curriculum development aligned with industry requirements.

The decision comes amid global concerns around AI's impact on employment. AVK argues, however, that the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is creating demand for advanced manufacturing and engineering expertise needed to build the facilities supporting the technology.

Strengthening the UK's AI supply chain

The investment has drawn support from government and the wider technology sector, as importance grows for domestic manufacturing capacity and AI in the UK.

Lord Stockwood, Minister for Investment, said: "AVK-SEG’s investment in Haydock is a strong vote of confidence in UK advanced manufacturing and the Liverpool City Region, creating skilled jobs, boosting apprenticeships and strengthening our role in powering the AI economy.

"This is exactly the kind of innovation-led growth set out in the Industrial Strategy: backing British talent, growing priority sectors and ensuring communities benefit from long-term investment."

Jonny Clark, CEO of Capital Enterprise, added: “Today’s announcement shows that the AI revolution is much bigger than LLMs and agentic workflows. It’s about our ability to build things in the real world.

“We’ll never unlock the full benefits of AI without designing and manufacturing high-quality infrastructure to keep up with its energy needs.

“As a Liverpool native, it’s brilliant to see our region's strengths in engineering and logistics recognised on this scale. The Liverpool City Region is a fantastic choice for locating the critical infrastructure for the AI future.”

The supporting supply chain is becoming just as important as the facilities themselves for hyperscale operators.

The result for AVK is bringing its manufacturing closer to home, and scaling production to meet growing demand from the data centre market.