South Dublin County Council has denied Google Ireland planning permission for a new data centre at Grange Castle Business Park in south Dublin. The council’s refusal is based on concerns about “insufficient capacity in the electricity grid” and the absence of significant on-site renewable energy sources needed to power the proposed facility.
This project was intended to be the third phase of Google Ireland’s data centre campus at Grange Castle, creating 50 jobs once operational. The 72,400 square meter facility would have included eight data halls on a 50-acre site.
The refusal decision comes amid growing concerns over the energy consumption of data centres in Ireland, which has surged in recent years. Data centres consumed about 21% of the country’s electricity last year, up from 5% in 2015, with projections suggesting this figure could rise to 27% by 2028, according to the Central Statistics Office. They currently use more power than all urban households combined.
Planning documents from Google Ireland indicated that without the new data centre, the company would struggle to meet the rising demand for ICT services. They also noted that the facility would indirectly contribute 224,250 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually without mitigation measures.
A 78-page report by Arup, a Dublin-based engineering consultancy, submitted with the application, stated that the development would be powered through an existing connection with EirGrid and claimed that carbon emissions would decrease as 80% of the electricity grid is expected to be renewable by 2030. However, the council’s refusal also highlighted insufficient details regarding power purchase agreements, the absence of a connection to the district heating network, and concerns about how the development’s design and impact on the power supply would align with the county development plan.
The council found that the proposal did not meet the criteria for development on enterprise and employment-zoned lands, nor did it align with objectives for green infrastructure and environmental protection set out in the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-28.
An Taisce, The National Trust For Ireland, had raised concerns that the data centre would exacerbate Ireland’s challenges in meeting carbon budget limits and strain renewable energy capacity. Google Ireland has the option to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála.