Social Democrats leader objects to north Dublin data centre plan

Ireland’s “antiquated electricity grid cannot sustain further data centres”, the outgoing Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall has told Fingal County Council.

Her comments come in an objection to plans for a two-storey data centre on a 20-acre in north Dublin, reasonably close to Dublin Airport. The proposal by SDC Piperstown II Limited also includes an energy centre building on site that will provide electricity to the data centre with potential to operate as a future grid peaking plant.

A planning report with the application says that, given current grid constraints, the proposed development does not propose to connect into the national grid until such time as EirGrid has confirmed that the necessary reinforcements in the transmission network along with the additional power generation has been developed to allow the grid to accept new data centre connections.

“Therefore the development will not have an adverse effect on the electricity grid at any point and will in fact serve to bolster the grid long term as an additional capacity source in times of peak demand,” the report says.

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However, the scheme is facing opposition from grassroots group Not Here, Not Anywhere and from Ms Shortall.

In her objection, Ms Shortall also told Fingal council that “granting permission for another data centre would further jeopardise our climate targets and put local water and electrical infrastructure at risk”.

“In 2021, data centres accounted for 14 per cent of all electricity demand in the State and EirGrid estimates that they could account for 29 per cent by 2028,” she said. “In the midst of an energy crisis, this level of usage must be stalled to protect our energy security.”

In its submission, Not Here, Not Anywhere has told the council that “in the middle of an energy crisis, with Ireland’s electricity grid at risk of failure in winter, large, wasteful users like data centres simply cannot be allowed to use any more of the nation’s gas and electricity”.

A decision is due on the proposal next month.