From left: Bord na Móna’s John Reilly, AWS’ Lindsay McQuade, Bord na Móna’s Tom Donnellan and Geoff Meagher, and AWS’ Neil Morris. Image: Bord na Móna/AWS
AWS has joined Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park, which aims to supply companies with renewable energy from Ireland’s midlands.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has entered a strategic collaboration with Bord na Móna to develop data centres in Ireland’s midlands, powered by renewable energy.
The agreement is part of Bord na Móna’s Eco Energy Park, which aims to generate large amounts of no carbon or low-carbon energy generation assets with “industrial-scale high-demand energy users”. AWS is the first organisation to join this initiative.
The goal of this initiative is to help AWS get access to renewable energy so it can develop new data centres in the midlands. AWS also plans invest in up to 800MW of new renewable energy projects in Ireland.
The agreement also includes AWS’s first 105MW power purchase agreement with Bord na Móna for the Derrinlough Wind Farm, in Co Offaly.
“This collaboration with Bord na Móna will help us to continue to decarbonise our operations while creating economic opportunities and supporting Ireland’s climate goals,” said Lindsay McQuade, AWS EMEA director of energy. “We look forward to working closely with Bord na Móna to seek out opportunities to expand in the midlands.”
Bord na Móna launched the Eco Energy Park in 2021 and is working to transform approximately 3,000 hectares of land to host the project. The State organisation said this will enhance Ireland’s energy supply security and help the State’s climate, renewable energy and enterprise objectives.
“As one of Ireland’s leading renewable energy providers we are committed to delivering innovative and sustainable ways for leading businesses across a range of sectors to decarbonise their operations,” said Bord na Móna CEO Tom Donnellan.
“We are investing significantly in our Eco Energy Park offering in the midlands, which will provide associated benefits for the area that will positively impact employment, the environment, infrastructure, communities and local businesses.”
AWS has been expanding the number of data centres in Ireland in recent years, but there are also concerns over the amount of energy these facilities consume. A report by the International Energy Agency warns that data centres are expected to consume nearly a third of Ireland’s total electricity by 2026.
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