Echelon unveils EUR €3.5 billion Wicklow data centre projects

Echelon Data Centres' launch of two new data centre developments in Co Wicklow, Ireland, has drawn strong support from Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin and officials from the country's inward investment and energy sectors.

Speaking at the new DUB20 and DUB30 campuses in Arklow, Taoiseach Micheál Martin underlined the importance of the data centre sector to the Irish economy. He described the developments as representative of the country's future for such infrastructure projects.

Mr Martin stated, "These two large-scale facilities demonstrate Echelon's commitment to responsible data centre development. They are located in a regional area where the grid isn't constrained, they will have the capacity to generate and dispatch power to the grid when needed, and they will facilitate the generation of renewable energy resources that will, in turn, help decarbonise Ireland's electricity system."

"They are the model for future data centre development in Ireland – and they will deliver jobs and economic benefits for Wicklow, and will encourage further foreign direct investment in Ireland."

Representatives from the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) and EirGrid, the national transmission system operator, attended the launch. IDA Ireland Chief Executive Officer Michael Lohan commented on Echelon's alignment with national policy goals.

Lohan said, "Driving sustainable change sits at the very heart of IDA Ireland's Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025-29. Indeed, our client companies are instrumental in shaping a green and digital global economy. Echelon's commitment to operating its facilities sustainably, responsibly, and with due regard for the environment is commendable. I wish the team continued success."

The Irish government has emphasised support for critical digital infrastructure that integrates economic development, effective grid usage, and renewable energy, with new policies put forward by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) to reflect this updated stance. Echelon's projects are cited as examples that are compatible with these national priorities.

Echelon plans to invest an estimated EUR €3.5 billion in the development of the DUB20 and DUB30 campuses. Construction is expected to generate around 2,600 jobs, and ongoing operations will support a further 715 permanent roles across the two facilities.

An economic assessment conducted by KPMG projects that the combined economic output from both sites could reach EUR €7.5 billion during the construction phase, and approximately EUR €801 million per year once operational. The report further calculates that every euro invested by Echelon in the DUB20 and DUB30 sites could deliver a return of EUR €1.60, resulting from increased economic activity across supply chains and employee spending.

The assessment also notes that for every 10 direct construction jobs created, up to nine additional jobs could be supported elsewhere in the economy. During operations, every 10 direct roles at the data centres could underpin 16 jobs throughout the Irish economy.

Echelon Chief Operations Officer Graeme McWilliams highlighted the anticipated economic and energy impact of the new data centres, stating, "Echelon's sites in Wicklow will generate broad-based economic value with measurable impact across the Irish economy that goes far beyond our initial investment. They represent responsible data centre development which supports regional development and job creation in partnership with good grid citizenship."

 "The energy demands of DUB20 and DUB30 will underpin investment in almost 1GW of wind-generated renewable energy, power that will help reinforce the national grid, increase Ireland's energy security, and support our transition from fossil fuels to clean, green energy sources."

The DUB20 campus is being established on the site of the former Irish Fertilisers Industries plant at the Avoca River Business Park, while DUB30 is located approximately five kilometres away at Kish Business Park. Each campus is designed for an IT load capacity of 90MW, with DUB20 also featuring two on-site energy centres, one for powering data centre operations and another for exporting power to the grid during periods of peak demand.

DUB20 is the first large-scale Irish data centre in more than four years to receive a grid connection from EirGrid, reflecting its compliance with the CRU's 2021 requirements for such projects. The grid connection enables the development of a 220kV substation, which will support future access to up to 800MW of wind power generated off the coast of Wicklow.

Echelon has also committed to integrating utility-scale battery storage solutions and solar photovoltaic farms at both sites, alongside efforts to explore using biomethane as a renewable fuel to support data centre operations. Construction of DUB20 will begin this year, followed by work at DUB30.