Estimated greenhouse gas emissions at Cruiserath will equate to 8.8pc of the 2030 emission ceiling
An Amazon data centre. Photo: Getty
Plans by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to construct three new data centres in north Dublin “will have no significant impact on climate”, according to planning consultant John Spain Associates.
He was speaking on behalf of Universal Developers LLC, an AWS firm which has secured planning permission from Fingal Co Council for three data centres with a combined power load of 73MW for the AWS data centre campus on a 65-acre landholding at Cruiserath Road, Dublin 15.
The plans have been stalled following appeals lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP).
In response to correspondence from ACP asking the Amazon firm to clarify their scheme’s impact on climate, Mr Spain said that “the proposed development involves significant and effective measures to mitigate climate impact, and the result is a development which will have no significant impact on climate.”
Mr Spain stated that the scheme “will also support the delivery of additional renewable energy, in line with government policy.”
Mr Spain enclosed a connection agreement between AWS and Eirgrid which he says provides sufficient power to serve the proposed development in its entirety.
He told ACP that the connection agreement with Eirgrid and the AWS firm already covered the permitted and potential future phases of the landholding at Cruiserath Road in Mulhuddart.
Universal Developers LLC first lodged plans for the data centre in December 2022.
The five third-parties who have lodged appeals against the grant of planning permission by Fingal Co Council are Friends of the Earth, the Fingal One Future Group, Dr Colin Doyle, John Conway and Louth Environmental Group, and Mannix Coyne.
On the impact on greenhouse gas emissions, Mr Spain contended that the proposed development will not contribute to any exceeding of the sectoral emission ceiling for the electricity sector.
In a report for Amazon Web Services, AWN Consulting stated that the estimated greenhouse gas emissions for the overall data campus project at Cruiserath will be 262,535 tonnes of CO2 in 2030, which equates to 8.8pc of that year’s sectoral emission ceiling.
AWN Consulting stated that the assessment of the proposed development and overall project has taken into account the relevant national and sectoral adaptation plans, and said the environmental assessment process “has ensured that the proposed development and overall project is climate proofed”.
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