An Bord Pleanála has denied Equinix's planning appeal to develop a data centre at Profile Park in the Clondalkin area of Dublin.

Equinix had hoped to build a natural gas-powered data centre at the location but was denied amendments to the existing and previously granted planning permission for its DB8 data centre by South Dublin County Council in August 2023. The site was originally planned to be powered by the grid, but after it failed to secure a permanent supply, the company adjusted the proposal to use gas power instead.

Under the proposed amendments, the company aimed to deploy 10 gas-fired generators and seven plant rooms on land previously earmarked for a future data centre. However, the council ultimately ruled that Equinix had failed to secure an appropriate grid connection and was therefore refused the amended proposal. The company filed an appeal in September 2023.

An Bord Pleanála said in its published decision that the project was not suitable for the site’s zoning because of the lack of a grid connection, lack of significant on-site renewable power, a lack of evidence around power purchase agreements, and proposed reliance on a gas-powered plant.

“The operation of the proposed on-site gas power generation system on a long-term basis in the absence of a grid connection would be inappropriate and contrary to national climate obligations,” the decision says.

Equinix has eight operational data centres in Dublin after the company acquired two BT data centres. Profile Park hosts several data centres, including facilities owned by Google, CyrusOne and Digital Realty.

The move to apply for gas-powered data centres has come after grid operator EirGrid implemented a de facto moratorium on new grid supplies for data centres until at least 2028 because of supply constraints around the capital.

Although several data centres were previously given approval to be connected to Dublin’s gas network to circumnavigate grid connection availability, this option has since been blocked by the Irish government. Ireland’s energy regulator has put forward new rules that would require data centres to match proposed loads with new renewable energy capacity.