AWS Secures Planning Approval for Major 73MW Data Center Campus in North Dublin
December 26, 2025
In a significant decision for Ireland's technology infrastructure landscape, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has received final planning permission to construct three new data centers at its campus in north Dublin. The ruling by An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP), Ireland's national planning authority, concludes a three-year review process that began when plans were first lodged in December 2022, highlighting the intense scrutiny large-scale digital infrastructure projects now face regarding energy use and environmental impact.
The commission granted permission to Universal Developers LLC, an AWS entity, for the development on a 65-acre site at Cruiserath Road, Dublin 15. The project, with a combined power load of 73 megawatts (MW), had initially been approved by Fingal County Council in September 2023 but was stalled by appeals from five third parties, including environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth and the Fingal One Future Group.
In its decision, the ACP cited several key factors, including the site's existing grid connection and infrastructure, as well as a pre-existing agreement with national grid operator EirGrid to supply power. The commission also considered how the project's power demand was factored into national energy sector emissions ceilings. A critical condition of the approval requires the developer to enter into a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) with a renewable energy provider before the data centers can operate. The ACP mandated that the amount of electricity generated by new renewable projects must equal or exceed the data centers' consumption at any given time.
While acknowledging the project's potential negative impact on climate from greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity generation, the commission concluded that, with mitigation measures, the residual impact would be "minor-adverse and non-significant." This assessment aligned with a consultant's report for AWS, which stated the development "will have no significant impact on climate" and is "climate proofed." The report estimated the project's emissions would constitute 4.4% of the national electricity sector's emission ceiling in 2030, rising to 8.8% for the entire Cruiserath campus project.
The approval underscores the ongoing tension between attracting major hyperscale investment and managing national energy resources and climate goals. For AWS, it represents a crucial expansion of its European cloud region, while for Ireland, it sets a precedent for linking future data center growth directly to new, additional renewable energy generation.
Source: thejournalie
