Reports related to this article:
Project(s): View 3 related projects in PECWeb
Released September 18, 2024 | GALWAY, IRELAND
en
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The way is clear for construction to start on a major 3.5 billion-euro (US$3.86 billion) data center project in County Wicklow with developer Echelon Data Centres (Dublin, Ireland) receiving a grid connection agreement from state-owned transmission operator EirGrid.
The company said it can now move towards the construction phase, which will see 1,100 jobs created during construction and 200 permanent jobs afterward. The first phase of what is being called one of Europe's greenest large data centers will be built on part of a 100-acre site, with an initial footprint of 45,000 square meters (484,000 square feet). Phase 1 of the project will deliver 90 megawatts (MW) of firm load capacity, with a planning application in progress to increase this to 204 MW. The energy center on-site boasts a generation capacity of 293 MW, supported by a 220-kilovolt grid substation.
The DUB20 project is the first large-scale data center to meet the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities' (CRU's) 2021 criteria for data center connections. The CRU had concluded that the power consumption requirements of data centers represented a growing threat to the security of Ireland's electricity grid. There are more than 80 data centers in Ireland, which account for over a fifth of electricity demand. It outlined several criteria for future projects to be considered, including the location of the project and the ability of the data center to provide flexibility in its demand by reducing consumption when requested to do so. The onsite energy centers at the DUB20 facility will have the capacity to provide security of supply services to EirGrid when renewable generation output drops below grid demand. The facility will receive primary power from the national grid, with the ability to connect up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of renewable power to the on-site substation. The news comes just weeks after Google's (Mountain View, California) plans for a third Irish data center in nearby Dublin were blocked by the local council, which cited existing insufficient capacity in the electricity grid and the lack of significant onsite renewable energy to power the data center. For additional information, see September 9, 2024, article - Plug Pulled on Google's Irish Data Center Plans.
"DUB20 is a model for the future--and EirGrid's decision to provide a grid connection for the facility will ensure investment of €3.5 billion in data center and energy infrastructure in County Wicklow," explained Echelon head of energy systems, Cormac Nevin. "It is an endorsement of sustainable data center development as it follows a pathway to net zero emissions and demonstrates the role of Government policy in achieving that. It is also a strong statement that Ireland takes its climate responsibilities seriously but is open for business to the data center sector and the jobs and inward investment that comes with it."
Wicklow-based Senator Pat Casey added: "This landmark decision from EirGrid is great news for Wicklow's emerging digital economy. Echelon will now be able to rejuvenate the IFI site in Arklow with a multi-billion-euro investment that will create sustainable jobs and build a world-class data center and digital technology campus in Arklow that will be powered by sustainable energy."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
The company said it can now move towards the construction phase, which will see 1,100 jobs created during construction and 200 permanent jobs afterward. The first phase of what is being called one of Europe's greenest large data centers will be built on part of a 100-acre site, with an initial footprint of 45,000 square meters (484,000 square feet). Phase 1 of the project will deliver 90 megawatts (MW) of firm load capacity, with a planning application in progress to increase this to 204 MW. The energy center on-site boasts a generation capacity of 293 MW, supported by a 220-kilovolt grid substation.
The DUB20 project is the first large-scale data center to meet the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities' (CRU's) 2021 criteria for data center connections. The CRU had concluded that the power consumption requirements of data centers represented a growing threat to the security of Ireland's electricity grid. There are more than 80 data centers in Ireland, which account for over a fifth of electricity demand. It outlined several criteria for future projects to be considered, including the location of the project and the ability of the data center to provide flexibility in its demand by reducing consumption when requested to do so. The onsite energy centers at the DUB20 facility will have the capacity to provide security of supply services to EirGrid when renewable generation output drops below grid demand. The facility will receive primary power from the national grid, with the ability to connect up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of renewable power to the on-site substation. The news comes just weeks after Google's (Mountain View, California) plans for a third Irish data center in nearby Dublin were blocked by the local council, which cited existing insufficient capacity in the electricity grid and the lack of significant onsite renewable energy to power the data center. For additional information, see September 9, 2024, article - Plug Pulled on Google's Irish Data Center Plans.
"DUB20 is a model for the future--and EirGrid's decision to provide a grid connection for the facility will ensure investment of €3.5 billion in data center and energy infrastructure in County Wicklow," explained Echelon head of energy systems, Cormac Nevin. "It is an endorsement of sustainable data center development as it follows a pathway to net zero emissions and demonstrates the role of Government policy in achieving that. It is also a strong statement that Ireland takes its climate responsibilities seriously but is open for business to the data center sector and the jobs and inward investment that comes with it."
Wicklow-based Senator Pat Casey added: "This landmark decision from EirGrid is great news for Wicklow's emerging digital economy. Echelon will now be able to rejuvenate the IFI site in Arklow with a multi-billion-euro investment that will create sustainable jobs and build a world-class data center and digital technology campus in Arklow that will be powered by sustainable energy."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
