According to a 170-page report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), datacentres in Ireland are expected to consume one-third of the country’s energy by 2026. Currently, there are 82 datacentres in operation in Ireland, with another 14 under construction and 40 approved to be built. This growth in the number of datacentres will lead to an increase in energy demand from the sector. The report warns that this trend could pose challenges to the reliability and stability of Ireland’s electricity system. It also predicts that the amount of electricity consumed by the datacentre sector could reach 1,000 TWh in 2026, equivalent to the total amount used by Japan. The report suggests that the datacentre sector may face additional regulatory intervention and pressure to improve efficiency. Energy-efficient cooling mechanisms and workload shifting between datacentre regions are among the strategies that could be implemented. Mark Yeeles, VP of the secure power division at Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, notes that the sector is at a turning point and operators need to realize that current energy usage levels are not sustainable in the long term. He believes that datacentres can play a key role in addressing energy and climate challenges, and calls for closer collaboration between government and industry to find sustainable solutions.
Menu
