South Dublin County Council has refused Google Ireland planning permission for a new data centre at Grange Castle Business Park in south Dublin.
The council cited what it called “the existing insufficient capacity in the electricity network (grid) and the lack of significant on-site renewable energy to power the data centre” as reasons for refusal.
The scheme was to be the third phase of the Google Ireland data centre campus at Grange Castle and would involve the creation of 50 jobs when operational. The new 72,400sq m data centre would have seen the construction of eight data halls on a 50-acre site.
The refusal comes amid a growing backlash against data centres here amid a spike in the amount of energy they use at a time when Ireland is struggling to meet its targets to cut carbon emissions. Data centres used about 21 per cent of all electricity generated in the State last year, according to the Central Statistics Office, compared to 5 per cent in 2015. That number is expected to hit 27 per cent by 2028. They already use more power than all urban households in the State.
Planning documents lodged with the application by Google Ireland warned that if the new data centre project did not progress, the company would struggle to meet the increasing demands for ICT services to its customers here. They noted that the data centre would indirectly contribute 224,250 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually without any mitigation measures.
A 78-page planning report by Arup, lodged with the council, said the proposed development “will be powered through an existing connection as agreed with EirGrid”. The report added that the duration of the effects on climate “is considered to be short term, as, in accordance with CAP24, 80 per cent of the electricity grid will be renewable by 2030, thereby significantly reducing carbon emissions”.
However, in its refusal, the council also cited the lack of clarity provided on the applicant’s engagement with power purchase agreements in Ireland and the lack of a connection to the surrounding district heating network as grounds to turn the application down. It also highlighted the proposed design of the development, how it relates to its surroundings and lack of detail of how the proposal will impact power supply once operational in 2027.
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A spokeswoman for Google Ireland said the company did not have any comment.
The council ruled that Google Ireland failed to demonstrate that the proposed use is acceptable on enterprise and employment zoned lands in accordance with the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-28.
It also refused permission as the scheme did not comply with an objective in the county development plan on retention and protection of existing green infrastructure (streams and hedgerows), culverting and the alteration of the stream on site, provision of green infrastructure and complying with the council’s Green Space Factor.
In a submission, An Taisce had warned that planning for the data centre “would further compromise our ability to achieve compliance with our carbon budget limits and would put additional pressure on renewables capacity to deal with the significant additional power demand”.
Google Ireland has the option of appealing the decision to An Bord Pleanála.