Fingal Co Council has stated that it is not satisfied Amazon Web Services (AWS) has fully demonstrated that its plan to build three data centres in north Dublin accords with revised Government policy on data centres.
In December, on behalf of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Universal Developers LLC lodged plans with the Council for the three new data centre buildings with a combined power load of 73MW for the AWS data centre campus on a 65 acre land-holding at Cruiserath Road, Dublin 15.
In addition to the three proposed, one AWS data centre is already operational at the campus while construction work continues on two others.
An Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) lodged with the scheme stated that permitted development and future indicative development at the data campus will consume 219.7MW in power and produce 607,523 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The new proposal is facing opposition and now seeking further information on the plans, the council has told Universal Developers LLC that it is not satisfied that it has fully demonstrated that the proposal accords with the Government 'Statement on the Role of Data Centres in Ireland's Enterprise Strategy' published in July of last year.
Instead of a ban on new data centres proceeding, the Government statement proposed a set of tighter regulations for new data centre developments as the country works to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade.
In its letter to the applicants on the issue of Government data centre policy, Fingal Council planners have requested Universal to provide information to demonstrate how the proposal would make efficient use of the electricity grid, using available capacity and alleviating constraints.
In its application, Universal Developers told the Council that AWS is committing to off-take 100 per cent of the powerfrom its three wind-farm projects here and "therefore, renewable energy sources will be used to provide electricity to the site".
The council stated that it notes the applicant's reference to its three wind farms here and has stated that details should be provided in respect of how much energy already utilised by AWS operations here are being offset by these proposals and if the quantity of electricity generated would offset the proposed development in addition to current activity.
The council also noted AWS’s global commitments to decarbonise and provide net zero data services and has requested the applicant to submit information specific to their Irish operations and progress in achieving targets for it.
In response to the application, Sarah Zimmermann of Fingal One Future 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 energy users like data centres cannot be allowed to use any more of the nation’s gas and electricity".
On behalf of Gluaiseacht, Eoin O'Leidhin has told the planning authority that "projects with this level of proposed new energy and water usage should only be ever be considered in the most dire of needs - a data centre simply does not meet this criterion".
In a separate objection, Eimear Manning of Clonshaugh, Dublin 17 has stated that the jobs to be created do "not justify the disproportionately large production of CO2".
Ms Manning has told the council that the primary reason for her objection is based on "the inordinate levels of Co2 emissions that would be created per year by this development".
Ms Manning stated: "While I understand that the applicant has suggested that renewable energy will be used to power this campus, the concept of 'offsetting’ carbon dioxide is inherently harmful. It gives the false impression that a project such as this development will not be damaging to the environment.
She said: "This is wholly false. For real, effective climate action, we cannot keep attempting to 'cancel out’ the greenhouse gases that enter our atmosphere, while continuing to increase the amount of Co2 that we produce. We need to actively reduce these emissions."
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
