Legal representatives for Google Ireland Ltd (GIL) have argued that the South Dublin County Council (SDCC) committed factual and legal errors when it denied planning permission for a new data centre at Grange Castle Business Park, in the southern part of Dublin. A detailed appeal to An Bord Pleanála was submitted, composed of a four-page missive from Google Ireland’s lawyers, AL Goodbody, issued in response to the council’s refusal last month.
The council’s denial was based on concerns about the inadequate capacity of the electrical grid and absence of substantial on-site renewable energy to power the data centre. Contrarily, AL Goodbody stressed that GIL had already secured a grid connection from EirGrid for the data centre expansion in 2021, and contended that the council is not the appropriate authority to decide on the network’s capacity to accommodate the data centre. According to them, the council had significantly misconstrued the facts and circumstances surrounding the planned development.
AL Goodbody further clarified that a contract was already in place with EirGrid to supply import capacity for the proposed development. This had already been incorporated into EirGrid’s capacity and demand projections.
The intended project is the third phase of Google Ireland’s data centre campus at Grange Castle Business Park. Its implementation would create 800 jobs in the construction industry and 50 permanent posts subsequently.
The comprehensive appeal, compiled by ARUP planning consultants, states that despite recognising the requirement for data centres in the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022 – 2028, the council has consistently rejected all new data centre proposals since the plan’s initiation. ARUP highlights the council’s mistaken belief about the lack of sufficient grid capacity as being central to its flawed decision-making.
The critique suggested a lack of prior consultation between the council and EirGrid before the rejection was dispensed, as laid out in the intelligent argument by ARUP. It indicated that the South Dublin County Council may have made its verdict without any substantial, reliable knowledge about the capability of the electricity network.
The objection raised serious doubts about the soundness and credibility of the council’s final views and questioned whether or not they were greatly informed. The South Dublin County Council has been requested to make a statement.
Google’s objection highlights the crucial need for the data centre to accommodate the burgeoning requirement for computational power, prompted by heightened internet usage and the integration of Artificial Intelligence.
While conceding that data centres do consume a significant amount of energy, the contestation affirmed that their impact on carbon reduction in other areas shouldn’t be underestimated.
This is demonstrated by their facilitation of extensive video-conferencing and remote working abilities, both of which contribute to a decrease in emissions from corporate travel.