At the official launch of its DUB20 and DUB30 data centre sites in Co Wicklow, Echelon Data Centres and the Taoiseach touted their sustainability credentials.
Echelon will invest an estimated €3.5bn to develop the DUB20 and DUB30 sites, with the promise of 715 permanent positions at the two facilities once they are operational, and 2,600 jobs during construction.
TheDUB20 campus is being developed on the site of the former Irish Fertilisers Industries plant at the Avoca River Business Park in Arklow, while DUB30 is being developed some 5km away at Kish Business Park.
Last year, DUB20 became the first large-scale data centre in Ireland to receive a grid connection from EirGrid for more than four years, after it met the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities’ (CRU) 2021 criteria for data centre connections.
The grid connection allows Echelon to begin work on a 220kV substation at the site that will allow access to the grid for up to 800MW of wind energy generated off the coast of Wicklow in the future, according to Echelon. The Dublin-based company says it is also investing in solar, battery energy storage systems onsite and renewable fuels to replace fossil fuel consumed by the data centre.
DUB20 and DUB30 will have an IT load capacity of 90MW each, and construction on DUB20 will commence this year.
At a time when data centres continue to create controversy for the amount of energy they take from the Irish grid, Echelon chief operations officer, Graeme McWilliams emphasised the sustainability credentials of the new sites. “They represent responsible data centre development which supports regional development and job creation in partnership with good grid citizenship,” he said at the launch.
DUB20 will have two onsite energy centres, one to power the data centre, the second with capacity to export power to the national grid at times of peak demand. According to Echelon, it will be the biggest grid-supporting asset in Ireland that isn’t a dedicated power station.
“The energy demands of DUB20 and DUB30 will underpin investment in almost 1GW of wind-generated renewable energy, power that will help reinforce the national grid, increase Ireland’s energy security and support our transition from fossil fuels to clean, green energy sources,” said McWilliams.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the Wicklow data centre as “the model for future data centre development in Ireland”.
“These two large-scale facilities demonstrate Echelon’s commitment to responsible data centre development,” he said. “They are located in a regional area where the grid isn’t constrained, they will have the capacity to generate and dispatch power to the grid when needed, and they will facilitate the generation of renewable energy resources that will, in turn, help decarbonise Ireland’s electricity system.”
He added that the centres will deliver jobs and economic benefits for Wicklow, and would encourage further foreign direct investment in Ireland.
“Echelon’s commitment to operating its facilities sustainably, responsibly and with due regard for the environment is commendable,” said CEO of IDA Ireland, Michael Lohan, who said sustainable change sits at the very heart of IDA Ireland’s 2025-29 strategy.
Echelon has data centres, power generation and energy storage facilities in Ireland, the UK, Europe and North America. In 2024, Echelon announced that Starwood Capital Group had invested approximately €850m to become a 50pc shareholder in the company, and provide material capital for its continued growth.
