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AMAZON HAS SECURED planning permission for two new data centres in north Dublin.
The permission comes despite objections from environmental groups which expressed concern that it would place further pressure on limited energy supplies and have an adverse environmental impact
Dublin City Council has approved an application made by Amazon through Colliers Properties for permission to construct two new data centres on a 3.75-hectare site in Clonshaugh Business and Technology Park.
A division of the US multinational, Amazon Web Services, already has a data centre at the same location.
The new data centres will be housed in two new two-storey buildings which will have a gross floor area respectively of 12,875m² and 1,445m² on a site of the former Ricoh building which is earmarked for demolition.
The larger building will have two additional mezzanine levels.
A dozen emergency generators will also be located in adjoining compounds.
Amazon has estimated that between 15 and 58 staff will work at the data centres over a 24-hour period, while up to 400 staff will be employed during the construction phase of the project.
The development by Amazon comes at a time when the energy consumption levels of data centres have come under renewed focus due to concerns over capacity issues among energy providers.
Official figures showed data centres accounted for 14% of all electricity demand in the Republic last year with Eirgrid estimating they could account for 29% by 2028.
Members of South Dublin County Council are currently locked in a row with the planning regulator after they imposed an effective ban on all future developments of new data centres in its administrative area
Earlier this year Eirgrid said it would not be providing any new grid connections for data centres in the Dublin region until 2028 due to capacity constraints.
However, the Commission of Regulation of Utilities ruled out a moratorium on new data centres but said the location of future facilities and their ability to generate their own power supplies would need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
In its application, consultants for Amazon said the company was committed to building a sustainable business “for our customers and the planet.”
They pointed out that part of Amazon’s commitment to be net zero carbon across its business by 2040 was to be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2025.
Amazon told council planners that its new 115-megawatt wind farm project in Galway which became operational this year would support the company’s data centres in the Republic and add to its existing wind farm projects in Cork and Donegal.
Amazon said the three wind farm projects combined were projected to deliver 229MW of renewable energy capacity each year and reducing emissions by 366,000 tonnes of CO₂ per annum – the equivalent of powering 185,000 homes for a year
The company said it was committed to offtake 100% of the power from its renewable energy projects without relying on additional public funding through the Public Service Obligation levy.
It pointed out it was the first company in Ireland to sign up for unsubsidised Corporate Power Purchase Agreements.
Through the use of an innovative cooling solution, Amazon said the two new data centres would use as little as 264m³ of water for cooling annually.
Amazon said its operations in Ireland sustain 8,700 jobs including 3,100 direct staff and another 3,900 working for contractors.
The company claims it increased economic output in Ireland by almost €7.5bn over the past decade and directly invested €4.4bn over the same period.
Speaking this week, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said that data centres are “hugely important to really large employers in Ireland”.
On data centres, Amazon said it had increased its spend with Irish contractors 14-fold since 2015 to €228m.
Amazon said its investment in data centres in Dublin city supported over 2,300 jobs in 2020 and benefited from €80m in capital expenditure.
Environmental group, Not Here Not Now, which opposed the development of the new data centres, said the proposed use of diesel emergency generators would result in fossil fuels being used to power them on occasion.
The group, which is campaigning for an end to fossil fuel exploration, said it was crucial that data centres are powered directly by onsite renewable energy generation such as rooftop solar farms or new offsite generation such as offshore wind farms.
“If the plant cannot be powered fully by renewable energy, it will lead to an increase in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2030, contravening the Climate Act, Climate Action Plan and National Planning Framework,” said the group’s spokesperson, Angela Deegan.
Not Here Not Now also claimed it was crucial that Dublin City Council considered the cumulative impact of the energy demand of all Amazon’s data centres in Ireland on a nationwide basis.
Another environmental group, Gluaiseacht, claimed the lack of information about the power rating of the proposed new data centres made it “unclear how big of a energy guzzling monster is being added to the national grid.”
In its ruling Dublin City Council said the proposed data centres were compatible with the zoning of the site and noted there were several other data centres within the business park including an existing permission for one on the same site
While the new data centres would have some net impact on the area, council planners ruled they would not have any significant adverse effects either on their own or in combination with existing data centres.
One of the conditions of the grant of planning permission requires Amazon to pay a development contribution of almost €1.3 million to the council.
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Move along now folks. Nothing to see here…
@Dave.: What’s known as an anti-climax!
The file, always the file…
@John Flood: due process has to be followed and be seen to be followed
@John Flood: this is what happens in rural Ireland all the time. You get yourself in trouble ,ring your old drinking buddy.
@John Flood: Allegedly a senior Garda spokes person said… the situation will be reviewed in six months time…after they misplace the file…
@John Kelly: and due process should be a suspension pending an investigation. Had that happened?
@Renton Burke: It’s right there in the article!
@Renton Burke: they were only arrested 2 days ago and released last night, they will be suspended but hide hrm a chance!
Operation coverup has begun.
@Windom Earle: operation due process .. exactly what all citizens of the state are entitled to
@Windom Earle: Now if the new commissioner can snare one of the many dodgy politicians we will have serious progress, but a part of me sees that he might be tactically taken out by the corrupt powers that run this country now that he is rocking the boat.
@Windom Earle: how did you work that out they are being treated the same as any other criminal. Up to the dpp to bring charges now
@Peter Hughes: who are the corrupt powers and dodgy politicians.. unless proven in a court of law ..
@John Kelly: Our country gets wiped out by bankers and we see them all riding off into the sunset with money made because the law was made so they can avoid been held responsible for their make money whatever the cost actions knowing full well that it would all come crashing down and they would have made their money while we picked up what is left. This is in your face corruption, in Iceland they banged up loads of bankers after they wiped the country out because they have a justice system that is not rotten to the core.
@John Kelly: the dogs on the street know that its all nod and wink politics. Corruption of the highest level robbing the taxpayers to fund their mates . Large building forms being awarded huge contracts with overruns of millions and millions. Wake up and smell the coffee.
@Tony Murphy: you mean the likes of Wallace?
Now the darling of the tin foil brigade here?
@Peter Hughes: we fecked up the country ourselves.. stop blaming the bankers . Most people partied and sold houses to each other
Hmmmm
Doesn’t surprise me. You can pretty much buy a guard in this country for a leg of lamb or 60 quid. (I’ll probably be arrested for that later today) True story: A mate of mine used to run a pub in rural Kerry. The local guard would call after hours and clear the place then sit down and have a pint. If 60 quid didn’t cross the counter you’d get prosecuted if it did he’d leave you alone for a month.
@Adolf Galland: when?
@Adolf Galland: back in the 20s ….and the publican was happy to assist..
@John Kelly: The 1920s?? Really?
@Adolf Galland: and where does the leg of lamb come into it? What if the Garda doesn’t like lamb? Would a side of beef be okay instead? Or what if the Garda is a veggie or, even worse, a vegan?
@Adolf Galland: your mate ran a pub in the 1920′s? What age is he. What age are you?
@Adolf Galland: 20′s
@Cian: Ryan’s daughter time ..
@Adolf Galland: why 60 quid…surely 50 or 100.
@Adolf Galland: I’ll take things that didn’t happen for 800 please Bob!!
@Karen Wellington: What do you mean when? Like do you want dates and times?
@Jumperoo: OK again this happened in Kerry. The local drunk was pulled by the guards driving home, now he didn’t have any money cos he’d drunk it all that day but he did have a side of ham/lamb whatever, on the back seat so he threw that at them and drove off. The cops didn’t pursue him because his wife works as a civilian in the local nick. Now I’m giving away a few too many details here so I’d better stop lol.
@SFNutters: I think the fine was 300 for serving after hours. So it wasn’t too much or too little
@Adolf Galland: a decade would suffice.
@Adolf Galland: when are Adolf’s tales being released in paperback?
With the wages that the average guard is on now the temptation to accept bribes or coerce money from others is undoubtedly going to be on the increase. Nobody can buy a home and raise a family on the current salary.
@2thFairy: Bullcrap justification.. the garda be alright .. retire at 50 on full pension ..
@2thFairy: only one is a Garda, the inspector and supt would be on more money
@2thFairy: @2thFairy: Bull !!! Gardai get very well paid !! Not to mention all the overtime payed out on top – there is no justification for dishonesty – many people in this country are on very low wages and that does not mean they will comit crimes because of this. Look at all the scandals 2 Million fake breathtests, 50 accounts Templemore, quashing of penalty points, tearing out pages of custody record books in Cork murder case, 8,000 Juveniles cases never dealt with – the list goes on and on – while lots of overtime is being made – so please don’t keep playing that poor mouth card – there are no excuses for corruption.
@2thFairy:
A Superintendent at the top of the scale after 7 years is in €90,000 E
and an Inspector at the top of the scale is on €65,000 – fact – and then all the overtime that is claimed in top of that – so no excuses whatsoever for corruption at this level- or any level !! What about the famous Code of Ethics ???
@Rita Gleeson: I didn’t mention anything about the guards involved in this. If you read what I posted properly you will see that I’ve made a general comment on what salary guards receive now.
@Rita Gleeson: officers aren’t entitled to overtime
Just because they were released doesn’t mean they won’t be charged. The Gardai have to gather all their evidence, send it to the dpp who makes the decision. If they arrested a Superintendent you can be sure they already have some strong evidence.
The headline makes it sound as if we only have 3 gardai in the whole country
Am surprised the journal allowed comments to be made on this story today when comments were closed yesterday
AC12 will get it sorted….
@windbag: THE OCG will get their comeuppance
That a Garda can be promoted whilst being under investigation for a serious offense. Demonstrates perfectly why the Gardaí should not be permitted to investigate themselves.
@Ger O’Reilly: eh, except this case is Gardai investigating and the dpp will decide charges.
Gardai are police, the best people to investigate crime. Gsoc are journalists, solicitors and a judge with no no police training or experience.
@2thFairy: @2thFairy: Bull !!! Gardai get very well paid !! Not to mention all the overtime payed out on top – there is no justification for dishonesty – many people in this country are on very low wages and that does not mean they will comit crimes because of this. Look at all the scandals 2 Million fake breathtests, 50 accounts Templemore, quashing of penalty points, tearing out pages of custody record books in Cork murder case, 8,000 Juveniles cases never dealt with – the list goes on and on – while lots of overtime is being made – so please don’t keep playing that poor mouth card – there are no excuses for corruption.
@Rita Gleeson: you are confusing deliberate corruption with procedural errors.
The breath tests didn’t benefit anyone, they weren’t being bribed to make up numbers.
The 50 accounts is under investigation, let the dpp make a decision.
The juvenile referrals was a mess up by one senior officer changing a working system to a broken system but again, wasn’t corrupt.
There were no pages ripped from a custody record in Cork that I know of.
Tickets, I still don’t get the big deal. People had tickets cancelled for parking, etc or got warnings instead. It’s gone now and instead everyone gets tickets all the time and the Gardai get called ‘revenue collectors’ here as a result. Is the world a better place for it?
No surprise there.. Corrupt law covering up corrupt employees
@Patti o furniture: what corrupt law .. nobody found guilty ..
May the force be with you
Mother of God
Resignations to follow shortly…..#pension
@Declan Leonard: if you are fired tomorrow and are at retirement age, you keep your pension because your made payments into it. Why would Gardai be different?
A Superintendent at the top of the scale after 7 years is on €90,000 and an Inspector at the top of the scale is on €65,000 – fact – and then all the overtime that is claimed on top of that – so no excuses whatsoever for corruption at this level- or any level !! What about the famous Code of Ethics ???
@Rita Gleeson: again, supers don’t get overtime. Officers are on an annual salary not an hourly rate.
Hi
Due process……bah!
Could they not have flogged them or something, very unsatisfying.
@Will: not in this democracy.. sounds good though ..
A number of commenters here tried, convicted and sentenced them in the past week
@WreckDefier: not to mention took away their paid in pensions and fired them!
You can be guaranteed the same people would be up in arms if the roles were reversed
The headline makes it sound as if we only have 3 gardai in the whole country
Traditionally,the publicans used to make a few quid and have always been a target to be squeezed for money
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