Eirgrid had already factored data centre into capacity forecasts, says tech giant
The four-page legal letter by Google Ireland’s legal representatives, AL Goodbody, forms part of a comprehensive appeal to An Bord Pleanála against the council refusal, which was issued last month.
In its decision, SDCC cited what it called “the existing insufficient capacity in the electricity network (grid) and the lack of significant on-site renewable energy to power the data centre” as reasons for refusal.
In the letter, the lawyers say that GIL had already secured a grid connection for the data centre extension from Eirgrid in 2021, and add that South Dublin County Council is not the appropriate body to determine whether or not there is sufficient capacity on the network for the data centre.
They say the council “has made a clear error on the facts and circumstances related to the proposed development”.
AL Goodbody state: “Eirgrid had already contracted with GIL to provide it with import capacity for the proposed development and therefore has already factored this demand into its capacity/demand forecasts.”
‘This suggests SDCC reached its decision without comprehensive and authoritative information’
GIL is planning that the application be the third phase of the Google Ireland data-centre campus at Grange Castle Business Park. The project involves the creation of 800 construction jobs and 50 jobs when operational.
The new 72,400sqm data-storage facility involves the construction of eight data halls on a 50-acre greenfield/brownfield site.
In the main 42-page appeal document drawn up by planning consultants Arup, they state that despite recognition in the South Dublin County Council Development Plan 2022-2028 of the need for data-centre development, the council has refused planning permission to every new data-centre application which has been submitted since the commencement of the development plan.
The appeal states that this amounts to four refusals primarily on the same grounds – insufficient capacity in the electricity network.
Arup says that the council’s error in its claim that there is insufficient grid capacity to allow the development “goes to the central pillar of SDCC’s decision”.
The planning consultants claim that it does not appear that any consultation was undertaken with Eirgrid by the council before the refusal was issued.
Arup further states: “This suggests that SDCC reached its decision without access to comprehensive and authoritative information regarding the electricity network’s capacity.”
The appeal says that the data centre will be GIL’s third data-centre building and is needed “to meet the growing demand for computing power, arising from increased internet use and adoption of artificial intelligence”.
The appeal concedes that it is correct to acknowledge that data centres do consume a large amount of energy.
It adds however that “it should also not be overlooked that they contribute to carbon de-intensification in other ways”.
