A groundbreaking study from University College Cork has revealed a dramatic escalation in data centre electricity consumption that could potentially overshadow Ireland’s entire industrial sector’s energy use by the end of the decade.
The research highlights a staggering 22.6% annual growth in electricity demand from data centres since 2015. Critically, the study notes that without these energy-intensive facilities, Ireland would have experienced minimal electricity demand growth over the past ten years.
According to The Irish Examiner, the findings raise serious concerns about the country’s ability to meet its climate commitments. Data centres are rapidly becoming an energy behemoth, threatening to consume a disproportionate amount of Ireland’s electrical capacity.
Researchers warn that the current trajectory could see data centres consuming more electricity than all of Ireland’s industrial sectors combined by 2030 – a prospect that could significantly undermine national efforts to reduce carbon emissions and manage energy resources effectively.
This revelation comes at a critical time as Ireland grapples with balancing technological infrastructure growth with environmental sustainability. The study serves as a stark warning about the need for strategic energy planning and potentially stricter regulations on data centre development.
The implications are clear: without intervention, the exponential energy appetite of data centres could pose a major challenge to Ireland’s green energy goals and economic infrastructure.