Planning notice for facebook data centre in clonee published

A planning application is due to be lodged with Meath County Council over the coming days for the major new Facebook data centre in Clonee. Planning notices appeared in this week’s newspapers regarding the site in Clonee where the international social media company is aspiring set up a European data centre.
A recently established company called Runways Information Services Limited, based in Dublin, has announced its intention to apply for permission for the development at lands, believed to cover around 220 acres, within the townlands of Portan, Gunnocks and Clonee, bounded by the R147, the Kilbride Road, The Mayne and Damastown Industrial Park.
The development will consist of the construction of a data centre campus in two phases within 10 years. Facebook is reported to be investing over €200 million in only its second European data centre. The company has a base in Sweden already.
Phase one will be the construction of two data centre buildings containing eight data halls with a gross floor area of 50,800 m2 and with a data capacity of 36 MW per building. Each building is 25,400 m2 and contains four data halls, an administration/office building linking and accessing the data centre buildings.
There will be an upgrade to the L5028 Kilbride Road to provide cycle path and pedestrian footpath between the R147 and the proposed new site access; and installation of temporary electrical infrastructure to service the data centre campus before final connection.
There is a separate planning application and associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on lands enclosed by the data centre application. It is a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) application to An Bord Pleanála under section 182A of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The application comprises the construction of a new 220 kV substation compound and associated loop-in connection to the existing Corduff – Woodland No.1 overhead 220kV line.
Phase two includes the construction of a third single storey data centre building containing four data halls with a gross floor area of 25,400 m2 and a data capacity of 36 MW and office space and associated parking. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been prepared for the proposed development.
Cllr Damien O’Reilly welcomes the prospect of Facebook lodging application with Meath County Council for planning permission for the campus adjacent to Clonee village and believes if successful, it will revolutionise business in Meath.