Echelon Data Centres has challenged a South Dublin County Council (SDCC) ruling to block the expansion of its 90MW DUB10 data center in Clondalkin, Dublin, Ireland.
Echelon’s legal representative, Arthur Cox, made the challenge, which is part of a broader appeal to An Bord Pleanála against the council rejection issued last month.
An Bord Pleanála is an independent, statutory, quasi-judicial body that decides on appeals from planning decisions made by local authorities in Ireland.
The company had applied to extend the existing ICT Facility Four from a general floor area of 1,976 sqm (21,274 sq ft) to 15,744 sqm (169,467 sq ft).
The building had planned to accommodate ICT equipment halls, associated electrical and mechanical plant rooms, loading bays, maintenance and storage space, office administration areas, and a screened plant.
The SDCC made the decision based on “insufficient capacity in the electricity network” and “the lack of significant on-site renewable energy” to power the proposed development.
In addition, the SDCC contended that a “lack of clarity and certainty provided in relation with the applicant's engagement with Power Purchase Agreements” contributed to the decision.
In response, Echelon contended that “it could not be the interpretation of any reasonably informed, intelligent, and careful person” that a PPA should be required before planning permission is granted.
A ruling on the appeal is due by the 25th of March 2025.
The Business Post first reported the story.
The appeal follows a similar appeal procedure made by Google following the decision by the SDCC to deny planning permission for a new building at the Grange Castle Business Park in south Dublin.
Google filed to build a 72,400 sqm (779,310 sq ft) facility on a 50-acre site adjacent to the two facilities it already has there in June 2024.
The council 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 center” as reasons for refusal.
The decision on the appeal is expected early next year.
Dublin is subject to a defacto moratorium on new data centers imposed by state-owned grid operator EirGrid, which has said it won't grant any new application requests until 2028. Several operators have looked to get around this with on-site power generation or connections to the country’s gas network.
