Charterhouse Street is also the home of a 31 MWe combined heat and power plant operated by Citigen[1] (E.ON) and located within and beneath the former PLA cold store.[2]
International diamond corporation De Beers has been headquartered at No. 17 since 1979, except between 2017-2020, though the street has homed De Beers since the 1930s. According to Bloomberg News, at the height of its power, over ninety per cent of the world's rough diamonds were held in the building, and by 2016, it housed over US$5 billion (£3.89 billion, equivalent to £5.16 billion in 2023) worth of gems in its underground vaults.[4]
After moving to Carlton House Terrace in 2017, plans to sell the building were proposed.[5]
The building was leased back on a long-term deal, with the intention that both De Beers and its parent company, Anglo American plc, would move into the building by 2020.[6]
Following renovations by London architecture and design firm MCM, Anglo made No. 17 its global headquarters in 2021.[7]
The street was formerly home to several refrigerated warehouses serving Smithfield Meat Market including the Central Cold Store, the Metropolitan Cold Stores at 77A and Port of London Authority Cold Store. The site on the corner of Farringdon Road was occupied by the 1960s Caxton House which was demolished in 2009 as part of the Farringdon station extension. [12]