Protest against new data centre developments held in Cork

Sat, 02 Oct, 2021 - 14:46

Amy Nolan

A protest calling for a ban on the development of new data centres was held in Cork city today.

Organised by the Cork branch of People Before Profit (PBP), the rally commenced at noon on Grand Parade.

It was also held to call for support for the party’s Climate Emergencies Bill which PBP will introduce in the Dáil on Thursday.

Robin Koenig, Gerald Griffin Street, Gary Baus, Summerhill South and Cian McGrath, Washington Street, attending the rally organised by the Cork branch of People Before Profit on Grand Parade.

The Bill will seek to ban the development of new, energy-hungry data centres, at a time where their consumption threatens national supply; stop any proposals to build Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals in Ireland and to limit all new fossil fuel infrastructure in the State.

The party said the problems posed by data centres to ordinary Irish people are increasingly apparent, in light of a boom in their construction in recent years.

Aaron McDonagh, Victoria Cross and Sean Kearney, St Finbarr's Road, at the rally organised by the Cork branch of People Before Profit on Grand Parade. Picture: David Keane.

“Their consumption of power and water are an unprecedented demand on Irish infrastructure and place Ireland's efforts to reduce its energy consumption and reach its Paris Treaty targets in serious jeopardy,” PBP said in a statement ahead of the rally.

Presently, there are 70 data centres operating in Ireland with eight more under construction and more in the planning stages.

Amy O'Donoghue and Robert Winkel from Midleton with their daughter Anna, at the rally organised by the Cork branch of People Before Profit on Grand Parade.

According to PBP, data centres consume 11% of all electricity produced in the State at present - compared to a global average of 2%.

By 2030 they say, this will rise to almost 30% of all power used - and over half of all renewable energy produced - in the State.

Solidarity TD for Cork North-Central Mick Barry voiced his support for banning new data centre developments.

“There is no way that the State should be giving the green light for more and more data centres when householders face the possibility of electricity blackouts.

Margaret O'Regan from Summerhill South and Joe Moore from Mahon, attending the rally organised by the Cork branch of People Before Profit on Grand Parade. Picture: David Keane.

“Data centres use up 2% of the world's electricity supply but in Ireland it's 11% and rising rapidly.

“The Government are giving the big tech companies everything they want.

“That's exactly what you would expect from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael but I think a lot of Green Party voters would have expected better from them,” he said.

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