Herbata Ltd, a company based at Millennium Park, Naas, is set to submit plans for the construction of an extensive data centre campus, situated just outside Naas in Co Kildare. This development is proposed to incorporate six two-storey buildings at Jigginstown, Halverstown, and Newhall, with the eastern district adjoining the M7 Business Park. The Jigginstown region has been designated as a suitable location for data centre construction by the Kildare County Council.
The advance notice outlines structures that will accommodate a 19m high data hall with a floor area of 24,756sq m. District heating infrastructure, including gas turbines, gas engines, and battery energy storage systems will be encompassed in the application. It also outlines the intention to install solar panels over a 3,600 sq m area on the roofs of the data centres.
In a recent statement, Herbata confirmed their application for planning permission for this innovative campus, which, notably, will not be reliant on the national grid for power. The company has expressed its aim to keep energy consumption at a minimum and progress towards decarbonisation with this project.
Microsoft, the technology behemoth, has already revealed its intention to prepare a blueprint for a data centre venture in the same area – Jigginstown, although no plans have been submitted yet. Microsoft’s representative commented that the plans are still in their infancy and hence, no announcement can be made as to when they will be formally lodged.
Regulations imposed on the building of new data centres in Ireland three years ago have caused anxiety among tech companies. This is in the context of increased energy requirements from these facilities. According to the Central Statistics Office, the electricity consumption by data centres has escalated from only 5% of the total produced in 2015 to 21% in the last year.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities is predicted to release a fresh policy by the end of this summer regarding the connection of large energy consumers, such as data centres, to the national grid.