Interxion to ‘power on’ €28m data centre in west Dublin

3 Mar 2017

Interxion Ireland managing director Tanya Duncan. Image: Connor McKenna

The data centre industry in Ireland continues to thrive, says Interxion’s Tanya Duncan.

Europe-wide data centre player Interxion will today (3 March) open its third Dublin data centre, called DUB3, which represents a capital investment of €28m.

The data centre, located at Grange Castle Business Park, will be officially ‘powered on’ today by the Tánaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, TD.

‘The global connectivity that is now so central to all our lives is reliant on the data centre’
– TANYA DUNCAN

During the construction phase of the project, around 140 jobs were created. 10 permanent positions have since been created, which will rise to an additional 40 when extra construction phases are completed.

Growing Ireland’s data centre industry

Interxion Ireland managing director Tanya Duncan said that the data centre industry in Ireland is thriving.

She added that the Grange Castle Business Park district, which also has Microsoft and Google data centres nearby, is now a strategic district for businesses looking to interconnect mission-critical services in Ireland.

“A number of new technologies have emerged in the past few years that have repositioned the value of a modern data centre. In the past, a data centre was seen as a way to support business,” Duncan said.

Interxion to ‘power on’ €28m data centre in west Dublin

Overview of the new Interxion data centre at Grange Business Park. Image: Interxion

“However, in today’s world, business and technology have evolved to the extent that the data centre is the central connection hub for organisations of all sizes. The global connectivity that is now so central to all our lives is reliant on the data centre.”

Duncan said that since Interxion opened its first data centre in Ireland in 2001, demand for the company’s services has continued to grow and evolve as Ireland’s economy changes.

“This growth has come from both new clients to Interxion and to the Irish market, and also as a result of our current clients expanding their own businesses. Today’s opening demonstrates Interxion’s commitment to Ireland and is the result of the continued support of the Government and IDA Ireland.”

Fitzgerald added: “Over 200,000 jobs have been added to the economy since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs in February 2012.

“This demonstrates that the economic recovery is being fuelled by job creation from companies like Interxion. These new positions show the commitment of companies like Interxion to west Dublin and are a vote of confidence in the talent and skills available in the local areas of Lucan and Clondalkin.”

Inside the new DUB3 data centre

Interxion to ‘power on’ €28m data centre in west Dublin

Image: Interxion

The new data centre will provide approximately 2,300 sq m (24,756 sq ft) of equipped space in four phases and total customer-available power of about 5MW.

To ensure maximum energy efficiency, DUB3 has been designed with a focus on energy-saving, modular architecture, incorporating cooling as well as maximum efficiency components.

DUB3 will provide access to more than 40 carriers and ISPs as well as INEX, the Irish internet exchange that has established PoPs in Interxion’s existing Dublin data centre campus.

Across Europe, Interxion is growing its services after opening new data centres in AmsterdamCopenhagen and Dublin. These new data centres have a maximum capacity of approximately 11,800 sq m (127,014 sq ft).

Ireland is a global base for the cloud

IDA CEO Martin Shanahan said that Ireland is as significant base for the majority of the world’s leading IT firms and, specifically, a base for cloud computing activities.

“Companies choose Ireland because of its strong track record in delivering data centre projects. IDA Ireland plays a significant role in this through its property portfolio, which offers large-scale, utility-intensive solutions and cost-effective greenfield and brownfield sites.

“With data increasingly becoming the lifeblood of the global economy, Ireland is well positioned to thrive as a location for the world’s best and most efficient data centres well into the future,” Shanahan said.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com