ENERGY MINISTER DARRAGH O\u2019Brien has defended the large number of data centres in Ireland, telling The Journal that\u00a0data centres are vital to Ireland\u2019s industrial base.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The minister said Ireland\u2019s IT sector is one of its largest industries, and data centres are a vital component of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t make cars, we don\u2019t manufacture [cars], we don\u2019t have heavy industry in Ireland as such. So if you\u2019re in Germany or if you\u2019re in Spain and you\u2019re making cars and you\u2019re making trains, those type of things are heavy energy users. IT is our large industrial,\u201d said O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n
He said data centres employ around 20,000 people, stating they are \u201creally, really important\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to pull the shutters down on it,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was recently reported by The Irish Times that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has proposed an arrangement that would let data centres pay a reduced price on the condition that they accept their supply may be cut intermittently when demand is high.<\/p>\n
The interruptions would be the result of increased pressure on the country\u2019s gas supply.<\/p>\n
The CRU said that data centres will continue to pay market rates for gas, but that under the proposal they would get a discount when paying network tariffs as long as they agree to accept interrupted supply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Journal about the issue, the energy minister said it is a matter for the CRU to determine, adding that from his understanding it is a \u201ctrade-off\u201d as in some instances a data centre may have to be switched off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s part of the deal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality of it is, if we want to be at the cutting edge of technologies and continue to be one of the world leaders in ICT technologies underpinning tens of thousands of jobs, data centres are an important part of that infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The amount of energy and water consumed by data centres, and how much strain they are putting on Ireland\u2019s infrastructure, has become the topic of heated political debate as the facilities continue to proliferate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The minister said the government has brought in new policies relating to energy usage for new data centres that get a connection agreement whereby 80% of their energy has to be through new renewable sources.<\/p>\n