Data Centre Operator’s attempt to shakedown the Irish Government is an insult to climate action and households

Friends of the Earth responds to statements made my Vantage regarding assisting “stranded investments”  in Sunday Business Post article

Friends of the Earth Ireland has condemned attempts by major Data Centre operators Vantage, to undermine state climate policy and circumvent democratic process in order to expand their data centre portfolio. Revelations that Vantage met with Minister Chambers to request a Governmental taskforce be created to “support specific cases” [1], despite planning authorities refusing their applications, should be seen as an attempt to circumvent proper legal process. The Government should reject and resist what appears to be an industry effort to shakedown the Government for more concessions, despite the industry mopping up over 21% of Ireland’s electricity - the highest in Europe. 

Vantage’s data centre was refused by An Bord Pleanála on the basis that it did not have a grid connection and would be plugging directly into the gas network, which would have made it yet another data centre that is guzzling gas and threatening to blow Ireland’s climate budgets[2].

 

Rosi Leonard, Data Centre campaigner at Friends of the Earth stated:

“Friends of the Earth Ireland believes Vantage’s comments are an insult to all households struggling with ever rising energy bills in the face of Ireland’s creaking energy system, and a gross undermining of the public’s effort to lower pollution.”

Friends of the Earth Ireland calls on the Government to face up to the real toll that Data Centres’ energy use is taking on Ireland’s energy system, climate goals and infrastructure. We urge the Minister for Climate, Energy and Communications to enact a moratorium on new Data Centre developments and put in place strict legal frameworks that ensure the industry lives within environmental and climate limits.”

 

Rosi Leonard continued:

“It is ridiculous that Data Centre operators can claim they have stranded assets on centres not even built yet. Because they have maxed out the electricity grid, over 30 data centres are either connected or seeking connections to the gas network. The consequences of making exceptions to the policy against Data Centres plugging directly into the gas network are dire- if all of these data centres were connected and using gas they would blow the entire emissions ceiling for the whole commercial sector nearly three times over. It is the public who will ultimately pay for this through the cost of fines and environmental breakdown” 

 

ENDS

Notes 

1. https://www.businesspost.ie/companies/us-data-centre-giant-vantage-calls-on-jack-chambers-to-set-up-stranded-centre-task-force/

2. https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/assets/files/pdf/data_centrres_and_the_carbon_budgets_-_prof_hannah_daly_dec_2024.pdf