Planned Google data centre will create almost quarter million tonnes of carbon emissions

Google Ireland Ltd’s (GIL’s) planned new data centre for south Dublin will indirectly contribute 224,250 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum without any mitigation measures.

That is according to planning documents lodged with the GIL application which has cautioned that if the new data centre project does not progress the company will struggle to meet the increasing demands for its services to its customers here.

The scheme is the third phase of the Google Ireland data centre campus at Grange Castle Business Park, and will involve the creation of 800 construction jobs and 50 jobs when operational. The planned 72,400 sq m facility will involve the construction of eight data halls on a 50-acre greenfield/brownfield site

A 78-page planning report by Arup lodged with South Dublin Co Council states that the proposed development “will be powered through an existing connection as agreed with Eirgrid”.

On the climate impact of the data centre, Arup states that the indirect impact on climate arising from the data centre connection to the national grid will result in 224,250 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions in 2027, which is 0.44 per cent of Ireland’s CO2 emission projections for that year.

The report states that the duration of the effects on climate “is considered to be short-term as, in accordance with CAP24, 80 per cent of the electricity grid will be renewable by 2030, thereby significantly reducing carbon emissions”.

In a bid to reduce the climate impact of the planned data centre and its Irish operations Arup states that GIL has signed a 14-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Power Capital Renewable Energy for 58 megawatts (MW) of new-to-the grid capacity from the Tullabeg solar farm through an existing grid connection.

The solar farm is currently under construction, and ARUP states that “GIL’s current projections indicate that, once operational, this PPA will help its offices and data centres in Ireland to reach 60 per cent carbon-free energy in 2025 when measured on an hourly basis”.

On the new data centre plan, the planning report states that “investment in the proposed development will ensure that GIL will be able to meet the increasing demand for ICT services in Ireland. Without this project progressing GIL will struggle to provide services to customers.”

The planning report states that the proposed development on the GIL campus complies with the EE zoning objective for the Grange Castle Business Park – “to provide for enterprise and employment”.

Google Ireland is aiming to commence construction in the final quarter of this year, with a 27- month construction phase with a completion date in Q2 in 2027.