Constrained power capacity means some digital services redirected out of Ireland, says data centre developer

US-headquartered Equinix made the claims as part of its planning appeal against a council decision to refuse planning permission for its planned gas-powered data centre at Profile Park, Nangor Rd, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.

Equinix (Ireland) Ltd already operates data centres here at Northwest Business Park (two), Citywest, Blanchardstown and Kilcarbery Park and globally operates 240 data centres in 71 locations. The company’s clients include Oracle, Google Cloud, Dell Technologies, AWS (Amazon Web Services) and CISCO.

In the planning appeal lodged with An Bord Pleanála against South Dublin Co Council’s refusal, planning consultants for Equinix, Brock McClure, state that due to the constrained power supply in Dublin, they understand that several multi-nationals have recently re-directed new digital/computing services to other European countries as they are unable to expand their digital solutions in Ireland.

The Equinix appeal further states that arising from the dramatic increase in demand for AI infrastructure, Irish domiciled organisations and st art-ups are “looking to deploy new AI services and related businesses outside of Ireland due to constraints in the local data centre market”.

Equinix has planning permission in place for a data centre at the Profile Park site to be powered by electricity, but the firm has not received a commercial or technical offer to supply permanent power to the site.

In a letter to Equinix in June, ESB Networks (ESBN) turned down Equinix’s application for a grid connection “as the proposed site is within an area that has been deemed constrained by Eirgrid”.

Equinix contend that ESBN’s refusal is invalid for a number of reasons.

Equinix is seeking a new planning permission for the data centre to one powered by gas at the same site pending a grid connection in seven to eight years’ time.

However, the council has refused planning permission to the gas powered station and amendments to the scheme after concluding that the applicant has failed to demonstrate that the proposed development has an appropriate grid connection.

In the appeal, Mr McClure contend that “the issue of grid connection is not an appropriate reason for refusal in this case. The proposal does not relate to a connection to the grid. The proposal is for On Site Power Generation (OSPG) to power the data centre”.