The firm behind contentious plans for a two storey data centre for north Dublin has withdrawn its planning application.
This follows applicants, SDC Piperstown II Ltd formally writing to Fingal Co Council to withdraw the planning application for the data centre on a 20 acre site in the townlands of Kilshane and Bay on lands to the north of Bay Lane at Piperstown, Dublin 11.
The proposal also included an energy centre building on site that was to provide electricity to the data centre with potential to operate as a future grid peaking plant.
A planning report lodged with the application stated that in order to work within current grid constraints, the proposed development did not propose to connect into the national grid until such time as Eirgrid has confirmed that the necessary reinforcements in the transmission along with the additional power generation has been developed to allow the grid to accept new data centre connections.
The planning report stated that "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 stated that the proposed on site power generation from the energy centre is intended as a power generation solution until the grid has sufficient capacity to connect data centres in the location.
A chief executive's order for Fingal Co Council confirms the withdrawal of planning application but contains no information as to why the application has been withdrawn.
SDC Piperstown II also required a license from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to operate the proposed data centre.
However, the firm has withdrawn its application after a number of objections were lodged against the scheme.
Dublin North West TD, Roisin Shortall told the Council that "our antiquated electricity grid cannot sustain further data centres".
In her objection, Deputy Shortall also told Fingal County Council that "granting permission for another data centre would further jeopardise our climate targets and put local water and electrical infrastructure at risk".
Deputy Shortall stated that "in 2021, data centres accounted for 14pc of all electricity demand in the State and Eirgrid estimates that they could account for 29% by 2028. In the midst of an energy crisis, this level of usage must be stalled to protect our energy security".
The deputy told the Council that "not only is the rapid proliferation of data centres jeopardising our energy security, but it also has a huge climate cost".
In its submission, Not Here Not Anywhere told the Council, "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".
Mannix Coyne of Bracetown, Clonee, Co Meath objected "due to the negative effect that greenhouse gas emissions from the proposed development will have on the environment".
The Coyne submission stated that the project would now constitute another data centre development to add to the proliferation of such structures already built and the cumulative impact of the data centre developments have not been taken into account.
