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Posted 2 years ago | 2 minute read
Government unveils data centre plans to enable the “twin transitions” of digitalisation and decarbonisation
The government said it will support data centres which create or support jobs, do not impede the electricity grid, and contribute to the construction of renewable energy sources.
In a statement issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 27 July, the government has said it will support data centres which create or support jobs, which do not impede the national grid, and which contribute to the construction of renewable energy sources.
According to the statement, “data is an essential enabler of our increasingly digital economy [but the government] recognises the significant capacity constraints on the electricity system in the short to medium term, and the need for decarbonisation of our energy system.”
“While data centres currently account for just under 2% of all greenhouse gas emissions, they are responsible for about 14% of Irish electricity use.” Under the revised policy, data centres will be supported where they are “associated with strong economic activity and employment” alongside other considerations including:
- data centre developments that make efficient use of our electricity grid, using available capacity and alleviating constraints
- developments that can demonstrate the additionality of their renewable energy use in Ireland
- developments in locations where there is potential to co-locate a renewable generation facility or advanced storage with the data centre
- Centres that can demonstrate a clear pathway to decarbonise and ultimately provide net zero data services
Mark Davis, GridBeyond’s Managing Director UK & Ireland said:
“It is good news that the government has highlighted the potential for data centres to self-generate required energy and to offer flexibility services to the grid. Given their load requirements, siting data centres closer to, or co-locating with sources of power generation could not only speed up the connection process but provide a long-term revenue stream for the business.
“At GridBeyond we are already working with global data centre brands to provide demand side response and battery solutions, whilst ensuring zero down-time and a guarantee that customer service level agreements will not be impacted. Using our AI-powered energy technology, GridBeyond controls energy consumption in data centres for participation in demand side response programmes, peak avoidance, energy optimisation and energy trading.”
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