Permission granted for two new data centres following appeal
Permission granted for two new data centres in Lucan
Planning permission has been granted for two new data centres in Lucan following an appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
EdgeConnex Ireland had appealed the original planning decision that saw them refused permission to develop two adjoined single storey data centres on the Newcastle Road in Lucan, along with “24 standby diesel generators with associated flues (each 25m high) located within a generator yard to the west of the data centres”.
South Dublin County Council had refused planning permission for the development in July 2023, on the grounds that there was insufficient capacity in the grid and that Edge-ConneX did not have a fixed connection agreement in place.
Additional concerns surrounded the lack of on-site renewable energy and power purchase agreements in the country.
In their appeal, EdgeConneX argued that SDCC had taken an “unduly rigid approach” to its development plan for the two data centres and had misinterpreted the proposal.
It stated that it, in fact, has an existing connection agreement with EirGrid and denied that there were any capacity issues.
The company also argued that it would power the data centre via a gas-powered generation plant in the short to medium term before connecting to the country’s electricity grid, that the data centres have been designed so that they can be transitioned to renewable energy when it becomes available, and that its gas-powered energy plant will “benefit the stability of the grid.”
An Coimisiún Pleanála granted permission for the data centres on Thursday, July 31, under a number of conditions, including a condition that the 24 standby generators “shall be powered by renewable fuel sources and there shall be a restriction on the use of fossil diesel”.
EdgeConneX is required to submit details of a “Corporate Power Purchase Agreement with a renewable energy provider for the operation of the proposed data centre and its associated power plant” to power the proposed development through renewable energy
They are also required to provide EV charging points, “adequate bicycle parking spaces” and amended proposals for pedestrian and cycle routes within the site “in the interest of the proper planning and sustainable development of the area” and in accordance with the SDCC Development Plan 2022-2028.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
