- Minister Darragh O’Brien breaks ground at first facility to meet Green Energy Park criteria under Government’s Large Energy Users Action Plan (LEAP) initiative
Echelon Data Centres will establish Ireland’s first Green Energy Park at its DUB20 data centre campus in Arklow, Co Wicklow, marking a major milestone in the delivery of the Irish Government’s Large Energy Users Action Plan (LEAP).
Green Energy Parks (GEPs), as defined by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are developments that co-locate large energy users such as data centres with renewable energy generation.
They are required to be primarily powered by renewables with battery storage or dispatchable backup from energy centres, able to demonstrate reduced reliance on the national grid, and promote innovation and system-wide benefits such as using waste heat for district heating schemes.
The Arklow Green Energy Park comprises Echelon’s DUB20 data centre, a new shared 220kV electricity substation connecting the data centre and SSE’s 800MW Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 offshore wind project, onsite solar energy generation, and onsite battery storage. It will also have grid-supporting energy infrastructure.
Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, marked the establishment of the GEP at the site by putting the first spade in the ground (see photo). The Minister expects Green Energy Parks, such as the one being developed in Arklow by Echelon, to play a key role in achieving Ireland’s climate targets while sustaining investment, employment and digital infrastructure growth.
He said: 'The Government’s Large Energy Users Action Plan set out a clear pathway for how energy-intensive industries can develop in a way that strengthens Ireland’s grid, accelerates renewable deployment and supports our climate ambitions.
'The Green Energy Park being developed by Echelon at DUB20 is an important example of that model in action – co-locating data centre infrastructure with onsite solar, battery storage and grid-supporting capacity. This is exactly the kind of forward-planned, sustainable development the Government wants to see delivered under the LEAP.'
Delivering on the LEAP Vision
The Government’s LEAP initiative sets out a plan-led pathway to identify and enable Green Energy Parks, including measures such as flexible or hybrid grid connections, private wire connections, and routes for corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs) with offshore wind generation.
The Arklow Green Energy Park at Echelon’s DUB20 campus is being designed in direct alignment with this framework. It will have:
- A data centre located close to the grid connection point for 800MW of large-scale renewable generation currently in development at SSE’s Arklow Bank Wind Park, Phase 2 :.
- Co-development of shared grid infrastructure, comprising a new 220kV substation through which Echelon’s DUB20 data centre and SSE’s Arklow Bank Wind Park will connect to Ireland’s national grid.
- Onsite renewable generation: Solar PV generation is planned as part of the DUB20
- Grid-support capability: The campus will feature two onsite energy centres, including one capable of exporting power to the national grid during periods of low renewable output – creating the largest grid-supporting asset in Ireland that is not a dedicated power station.
- Energy storage and low-carbon fuels: Echelon will co-locate battery energy storage systems and use hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to reduce onsite generation emissions by up to 90%.
Together, these elements reflect the core characteristics of Green Energy Parks identified by Government: renewable-led supply, storage integration, demand flexibility and meaningful contribution to grid stability.
A Model for Responsible Data Centre Development
The DUB20 campus, which forms part of Echelon’s €4.2bn investment in the DUB20 and DUB30 facilities in Wicklow, is located at the former Irish Fertilisers Industries site at the Avoca River Business Park in Arklow. Due to be completed by 2028, it represents a major regeneration project for the region and positions Arklow as the first live example of a Government-aligned Green Energy Park under development in Ireland.
An independent Economic Impact Assessment by KPMG found that the DUB20 and DUB30 campuses could generate up to €7.5bn in economic output during construction and €801m annually once operational. The assessment also found that every €1 invested could yield €1.60 in wider economic activity, with thousands of jobs, supported during both construction and operation.
Echelon Chief Strategy Officer Graeme McWilliams said: 'Creating Ireland’s first Green Energy Park at DUB20 demonstrates how large-scale digital infrastructure can be developed responsibly and in lockstep with national climate and energy policy.
'By co-locating data centre capacity with offshore wind, onsite solar and grid-supporting infrastructure, we are delivering the exact model envisioned under the Government’s LEAP framework – cutting emissions, reinforcing energy security and supporting regional economic growth.'
Source: Echelon
