Apple has filed for an extension of its planning permission to build a data centre in Athenry, County Galway, Ireland. The original permission will expire in September 2021 but, if they are granted their extension, Apple will seek to begin construction imminently and complete the project by the 2026 deadline.
Artist’s concept of the original planned data centre in Athenry. Image: Apple
The land was originally purchased in 2014 for a $1 billion data centre which was scheduled for completion in 2017. The development was delayed following environmental protests, legal challenges, and questions over whether the planning application followed due process. Apple abandoned its plans and put the site up for sale in 2019.
The application proposes a 24,500 sq m single-storey data centre together with several maintenance and administration buildings, fiber huts, standby generators and a 20kV substation.
