Dublin council throws out Google data centre plans

Google has been denied planning permission for a 779,310 sq ft data centre in Dublin. South Dublin County Council has refused the plans for the new building at Grange Castle Business Park on the ground that there is insufficient capacity in the electricity network and a lack of on-site renewable energy to power the data centre. It added that the lack of clarity around Google’s power purchase agreements in Ireland and the lack of a connection to the surrounding district heating network were also factors in its decision. South Dublin County Council’s planning department said it had rejected the plan because of a “lack of detail of how the proposal will impact power supply once operational”. “With regard to the power supply and electricity network, it is not clear if there is sufficient capacity within the network for the proposed development,” said the council. Google submitted the plans for the 50-acre project, which sits next to two facilities it already has on the park, earlier this summer.