Amazon has been granted planning permission for two new data centres in Dublin – despite objections from environmental groups.

As reported by the Irish Independent, permission was granted by Dublin City Council for an application made by Amazon via Colliers Properties. The application will see the development of two new data centres on a 3.75-hectare site in Clonshaugh Business and Technology Park, previously home to the Ricoh building, which is scheduled to be demolished.

The new two-storey data centres will comprise a gross floor area of 12,875 msq and 1,445 msq, respectively, and according to Amazon, will employ between 15 and 58 staff at the facilities, with up to 400 staff to be employed during construction.

The environmental group Not Here Not Now has raised concerns about the use of diesel emergency generators, which would mean fossil fuels would be used to power the sites on occasion.

Group spokesperson Angela Deegan said, “If the plant cannot be powered fully by renewable energy, it will lead to an increase in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2030, contravening the Climate Act, Climate Action Plan and National Planning Framework”.

Eirgrid said at the start of this year that it would not be connecting new data centres to the grid in the Dublin region until 2028, due to demands on energy capacity. This was despite the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) saying previously that it would not issue a moratorium on new data centres in Ireland ­– instead outlining new assessment criteria for grid connection applications.

New guidelines for the development of new data centres were also issued by the Irish government last month, laying out sustainability-focussed regulations that should be adhered to by potential developers.

In a statement, the government said “we must align the twin transitions which are both digital and green,” with the new guidelines encouraging developments with efficient energy use and the use of renewable energy.