Google has secured planning permission from An Coimisiún Pleanála to build a 72,400 sqm (779,310 sq ft) data center at its Grange Castle Business Park campus in Dublin, ending a two-year dispute with South Dublin County Council.

The Irish Times first reported the decision. The approval reverses the council's August 2024 refusal, which blocked the project just two months after Google filed its application in June 2024.

The proposed facility would be the third data center building on the site. The council's 2024 refusal cited "the existing insufficient capacity in the electricity network (grid) and the lack of significant on-site renewable energy to power the data center." The council also flagged the absence of clarity around Google's Power Purchase Agreements in Ireland and the company's failure to connect the facility to the surrounding district heating network.

Google appealed to An Bord Pleanála — since renamed An Coimisiún Pleanála — arguing it had secured the necessary grid connection in 2021.

Moratorium context

The original application landed during a de facto moratorium on new data centers imposed by EirGrid, the state-owned grid operator. EirGrid stated it would not grant new application requests until 2028, and that constraint shaped the council's initial refusal.

Two years on, the planning authority has granted permission subject to conditions. Google must provide evidence of Power Purchase Agreements before development proceeds and must use renewable fuel for backup generators.

The conditions extend beyond energy. Google must also encourage staff to use public transport, cycle or walk to work, and improve the ecological value of the site.

A Google spokesperson commented on the ruling: "Data centers are an essential part of Ireland's ambitious digital economy, and we want to support that. That's why we are grateful that An Coimisiún Pleanála has approved Google Ireland's appeal. We look forward to the next steps as we continue to invest in our infrastructure in the country to meet the growing demand for our services."

Long-standing Dublin footprint

Google has operated data centers at Grange Castle Business Park since 2012. The company announced plans in 2011 to convert a warehouse at the site into a data center, then received permission for a second facility in 2014. According to the company, total investment in the site stands at approximately €500 million ($535.3m).

The approval signals a shift in Ireland's handling of hyperscale data center applications after years of grid-related constraints. EirGrid's moratorium, in place since the original application period, has held back new connections across the Dublin region, where the majority of the country's data center capacity is concentrated.

For Google, the third building adds substantial capacity to a campus that has anchored its European infrastructure for over a decade. The conditions attached to the permission — renewable backup fuel, contracted renewable supply, transport demand management, and ecological improvements — set a template that future applicants in Ireland will likely face.