Apple wins approval to begin first stage of Irish data center

Posted:
in General Discussion edited August 2016
Coming in well ahead of its deadline, Ireland's An Bord Plean?la has approved plans to build the first stage of an Apple data center, which will include support buildings and one of eight eventual data halls.

Apple's official rendering of the full-scale complex.
Apple's official rendering of the full-scale complex.


Apple will have to apply for further permission every time it wants to add another hall, Business Insider said on Friday, noting that the facility may take as much as 10 to 15 years to reach full size. In approving the first stage, An Bord Plean?la suggested that despite concerns over things like traffic and environmental damage, the data center will help the area's economy, employing over 200 people in its construction. A smaller number of IT workers and associated staff will actually run the complex.

The board also acknowledged that it can be difficult to find sites for large-scale data centers that simultaneously need connection to the national power grid. Apple intends to fully power the facility using renewable energy sources.

The construction site is located in the town of Athenry in County Galway, not far from the Athenry Golf Club. Apple will be building on land that was previous a tree farm, and has promised to restore native trees to the area, as well as add a walking trail and an "outdoor education space" for local schools.

Apple will have to comply with some additional conditions, including limiting noise and the number of parking spaces, and running external cables underground.

Once it's finished, the data center should be Apple's first in Europe and handle traffic for iTunes, Siri, the App Store, and other cloud-based services. The company has been targeting a 2017 launch date, but may have to postpone that given the delays caused by the appeal process.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 22
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    That all seems like a good outcome.  I wonder how long until it's operational.
  • Reply 2 of 22
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Great news.  My only worry being from that part of the world is will there be enough sunshine ;)
  • Reply 3 of 22
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    Great news.  My only worry being from that part of the world is will there be enough sunshine ;)
    What is sunshine?  And why do people seem to think the sky is blue?
    Roger_Fingas
  • Reply 4 of 22
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Was the site blessed by a Catholic priest first?
  • Reply 5 of 22
    latifbplatifbp Posts: 544member
    "An Bord Pleanála suggested that despite concerns over things like traffic and environmental damage, the data center will help the area's economy, employing over 200 people in its construction." 

    Read it and weep Euro pick pockets. Apple creates more jobs with EVERY new development. This is why Ireland does not support the EU in trying to grab 10 years of back taxes.
  • Reply 6 of 22
    latifbplatifbp Posts: 544member
    Passive-aggressive Euro-freaks... Just Dislike my comment with zero counter argument 
    tallest skil
  • Reply 7 of 22
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    latifbp said:
    Passive-aggressive Euro-freaks... Just Dislike my comment with zero counter argument 
    Did a nasty Euro-nanny take your rattle away this morning?
    edited August 2016 singularityuniscapenolamacguyxbitlymf
  • Reply 8 of 22
    They could put mini turbines in the water down pipes from the roof!
  • Reply 9 of 22
    latifbplatifbp Posts: 544member
    cnocbui said:
    latifbp said:
    Passive-aggressive Euro-freaks... Just Dislike my comment with zero counter argument 
    Did a nasty Euro-nanny take your rattle away this morning?
    One of those Euro-ho wet nannies I hired ripped her teet from my mouth. But that's beside the point. Do you have anything substantive to add?
    edited August 2016
  • Reply 10 of 22
    Great! Now bring back Scott Forstall and say all is forgiven...
  • Reply 11 of 22
    EsquireCatsEsquireCats Posts: 1,268member
    Having followed the complaints from early on, I believe the locals have done themselves a tremendous disservice.

    Once the first data centre is built they'll realise that their (frequently irrational) fears were unfounded - only to endure another 10 years of construction noise and interruption.

    They should have just allowed it all to be built simultaneously, it would minimise the traffic impact and dust, while also providing the strongest boost to the economy. Instead it'll be a slow negligible addition over several years with a combination of long term road congestion/interruption for the minimum economic boost.

    I'd place bets that after the first is built the rest will be approved in one hit.
    latifbph2p
  • Reply 12 of 22
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    Having followed the complaints from early on, I believe the locals have done themselves a tremendous disservice.

    Once the first data centre is built they'll realise that their (frequently irrational) fears were unfounded - only to endure another 10 years of construction noise and interruption.

    They should have just allowed it all to be built simultaneously, it would minimise the traffic impact and dust, while also providing the strongest boost to the economy. Instead it'll be a slow negligible addition over several years with a combination of long term road congestion/interruption for the minimum economic boost.

    I'd place bets that after the first is built the rest will be approved in one hit.
    If you read some of the articles about this, it is very obvious that the locals have been very reasonable, even accommodating.  Apple don't want to build all 8 server halls simultaneously, and even if they had wished to, doing so would have dragged out construction based disruption for a considerable period of time. As the article notes, they have approved the first stage, meaning Apple themselves have plans to build it over time, not all at once.

    You have little understanding of the nature of the location Apple chose to build this.  Building all the halls simultaneously would have been a long drawn out nightmare for the locals.  This is not an industrial location with roads and infrastructure designed to service it.  Personally I share the views of some who have asked why Apple couldn't have built this in an existing business park or similarly zoned area.  Plonking this in the middle of a quiet rural setting seems completely inappropriate.  You don't seem to appreciate it, but Apple have actually had a very smooth ride with this, despite some articles designed to make it seem otherwise.

    This is likely the main route construction traffic will have to use to reach the site:



    By taking this approach they have basically said, go ahead lets see if your promises and assurances are met.  That seems entirely logical and reasonable to me.  There would be plenty of places where locals would have been screaming and protesting not to allow it to be built at all.




    h2ppropod
  • Reply 13 of 22
    latifbplatifbp Posts: 544member
    cnocbui said:
    Having followed the complaints from early on, I believe the locals have done themselves a tremendous disservice.

    Once the first data centre is built they'll realise that their (frequently irrational) fears were unfounded - only to endure another 10 years of construction noise and interruption.

    They should have just allowed it all to be built simultaneously, it would minimise the traffic impact and dust, while also providing the strongest boost to the economy. Instead it'll be a slow negligible addition over several years with a combination of long term road congestion/interruption for the minimum economic boost.

    I'd place bets that after the first is built the rest will be approved in one hit.
    If you read some of the articles about this, it is very obvious that the locals have been very reasonable, even accommodating.  Apple don't want to build all 8 server halls simultaneously, and even if they had wished to, doing so would have dragged out construction based disruption for a considerable period of time. As the article notes, they have approved the first stage, meaning Apple themselves have plans to build it over time, not all at once.

    You have little understanding of the nature of the location Apple chose to build this.  Building all the halls simultaneously would have been a long drawn out nightmare for the locals.  This is not an industrial location with roads and infrastructure designed to service it.  Personally I share the views of some who have asked why Apple couldn't have built this in an existing business park or similarly zoned area.  Plonking this in the middle of a quiet rural setting seems completely inappropriate.  You don't seem to appreciate it, but Apple have actually had a very smooth ride with this, despite some articles designed to make it seem otherwise.

    This is likely the main route construction traffic will have to use to reach the site:



    By taking this approach they have basically said, go ahead lets see if your promises and assurances are met.  That seems entirely logical and reasonable to me.  There would be plenty of places where locals would have been screaming and protesting not to allow it to be built at all.




    Cocnobi- Apple plans to use nature as the source of energy. For people to wonder why they wouldn't build in an obnoxious, environmentally stale, solid concrete slab of waste is regressive thinking; "why don't these big businesses just keep doing things the old way where we ruin an area and strip it of its usability like they always do?" This is the future and Apple ultimately is trying to create a synergistic use of energy and production that fuels renewable energy. But no, let the non-future gazing locals cast a bunch of doubt on engineering acumen and a top VP who used to head the EPA. Nope Apple must be trying to pull a fast one on you people /s. WTF dude?! You all might as well vote for Trump to be your president...
  • Reply 14 of 22
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    *win*? Serious? Approval is like lottery now?
  • Reply 15 of 22
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    latifbp said:
    cnocbui said:


    Cocnobi- Apple plans to use nature as the source of energy. For people to wonder why they wouldn't build in an obnoxious, environmentally stale, solid concrete slab of waste is regressive thinking; "why don't these big businesses just keep doing things the old way where we ruin an area and strip it of its usability like they always do?" This is the future and Apple ultimately is trying to create a synergistic use of energy and production that fuels renewable energy. But no, let the non-future gazing locals cast a bunch of doubt on engineering acumen and a top VP who used to head the EPA. Nope Apple must be trying to pull a fast one on you people /s. WTF dude?! You all might as well vote for Trump to be your president...
    Apple do not plan to power this facility from on-site renewables so they could have just as easily - probably more easily - have constructed it in an existing business park in Galway.  This site will be connected to Ireland's national grid.  The electricity fed into the grid comes from a variety of sources, some from coal, Gas and peat fired power stations and some from wind turbines and a trickle from hydro.  Apple have said they will contract with a renewable energy supplier, which just means that somewhere else, a dirty great wind farm be built, spoiling the views and property values of a few thousand people and chopping up countless birds and bats, and will feed into the national grid an amount of energy equivalent to 120% of that which Apple's server farm consumes.  The extra 20% is because there are near windless days when none of the various wind farms produce anything so all the energy in the country has to come from good old reliable sources like coal.

    This facility if ever completed, will increase Ireland's total electricity usage by 8%.  That means another entire gas/coal/peat fired power station will possibly have to be built just so as to be able to power it when the wind isn't blowing.

    Such is the BS of electricity generated from renewables.

    Trump would never be voted for in this country, we aren't stupid.
    edited August 2016
  • Reply 16 of 22
    latifbplatifbp Posts: 544member
    cnocbui said:
    latifbp said:
    Cocnobi- Apple plans to use nature as the source of energy. For people to wonder why they wouldn't build in an obnoxious, environmentally stale, solid concrete slab of waste is regressive thinking; "why don't these big businesses just keep doing things the old way where we ruin an area and strip it of its usability like they always do?" This is the future and Apple ultimately is trying to create a synergistic use of energy and production that fuels renewable energy. But no, let the non-future gazing locals cast a bunch of doubt on engineering acumen and a top VP who used to head the EPA. Nope Apple must be trying to pull a fast one on you people /s. WTF dude?! You all might as well vote for Trump to be your president...
    Apple do not plan to power this facility from on-site renewables so they could have just as easily - probably more easily - have constructed it in an existing business park in Galway.  This site will be connected to Ireland's national grid.  The electricity fed into the grid comes from a variety of sources, some from coal, Gas and peat fired power stations and some from wind turbines and a trickle from hydro.  Apple have said they will contract with a renewable energy supplier, which just means that somewhere else, a dirty great wind farm be built, spoiling the views and property values of a few thousand people and chopping up countless birds and bats, and will feed into the national grid an amount of energy equivalent to 120% of that which Apple's server farm consumes.  The extra 20% is because there are near windless days when none of the various wind farms produce anything so all the energy in the country has to come from good old reliable sources like coal.

    This facility if ever completed, will increase Ireland's total electricity usage by 8%.  That means another entire gas/coal/peat fired power station will possibly have to be built just so as to be able to power it when the wind isn't blowing.

    Such is the BS of electricity generated from renewables.

    Trump would never be voted for in this country, we aren't stupid.
    If you ignore facts you might as well elect Trump- "Like all Apple data centres, the new facilities will run entirely on clean, renewable energy sources from day one. Apple will also work with local partners to develop additional renewable energy projects from wind or other sources to provide power in the future. These facilities will have the lowest environmental impact yet for an Apple data centre.

    “We believe that innovation is about leaving the world better than we found it, and that the time for tackling climate change is now,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environmental Initiatives. “We’re excited to spur green industry growth in Ireland and Denmark and develop energy systems that take advantage of their strong wind resources. Our commitment to environmental responsibility is good for the planet, good for our business and good for the European economy.”

    The two data centres, each measuring 166,000 square metres, are expected to begin operations in 2017 and include designs with additional benefits for their communities. For the project in Athenry, Ireland, Apple will recover land previously used for growing and harvesting non-native trees and restore native trees to Derrydonnell Forest. The project will also provide an outdoor education space for local schools, as well as a walking trail for the community."
  • Reply 17 of 22
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    latifbp said:
    cnocbui said:
    Apple do not plan to power this facility from on-site renewables so they could have just as easily - probably more easily - have constructed it in an existing business park in Galway.  This site will be connected to Ireland's national grid.  The electricity fed into the grid comes from a variety of sources, some from coal, Gas and peat fired power stations and some from wind turbines and a trickle from hydro.  Apple have said they will contract with a renewable energy supplier, which just means that somewhere else, a dirty great wind farm be built, spoiling the views and property values of a few thousand people and chopping up countless birds and bats, and will feed into the national grid an amount of energy equivalent to 120% of that which Apple's server farm consumes.  The extra 20% is because there are near windless days when none of the various wind farms produce anything so all the energy in the country has to come from good old reliable sources like coal.

    This facility if ever completed, will increase Ireland's total electricity usage by 8%.  That means another entire gas/coal/peat fired power station will possibly have to be built just so as to be able to power it when the wind isn't blowing.

    Such is the BS of electricity generated from renewables.

    Trump would never be voted for in this country, we aren't stupid.
    If you ignore facts you might as well elect Trump- "Like all Apple data centres, the new facilities will run entirely on clean, renewable energy sources from day one. Apple will also work with local partners to develop additional renewable energy projects from wind or other sources to provide power in the future. These facilities will have the lowest environmental impact yet for an Apple data centre.

    “We believe that innovation is about leaving the world better than we found it, and that the time for tackling climate change is now,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environmental Initiatives. “We’re excited to spur green industry growth in Ireland and Denmark and develop energy systems that take advantage of their strong wind resources. Our commitment to environmental responsibility is good for the planet, good for our business and good for the European economy.”

    The two data centres, each measuring 166,000 square metres, are expected to begin operations in 2017 and include designs with additional benefits for their communities. For the project in Athenry, Ireland, Apple will recover land previously used for growing and harvesting non-native trees and restore native trees to Derrydonnell Forest. The project will also provide an outdoor education space for local schools, as well as a walking trail for the community."
    You wouldn't know a fact if it bit you.

    What I wrote was entirely accurate.

    Before you swallow Lisa Jackson's propaganda, hook line and sinker, you might want to read this article about where the energy Apple uses really comes from.

    So, how does Apple get to its 100% number? As the company’s own report admits, Apple’s data centers do in fact consume the standard blend of coal, natural gas, nuclear and hydro power–with a small amount of solar and wind mixed in. But the company literally pays other energy users to pretend that they only use coal, gas, and nuclear power so that Apple can claim to use only renewable power.

    OVER 100 people attended an oral hearing into the planned €850m Apple data centre in Galway yesterday where the company stressed it was committed to using renewable energy.

    Rory Mulcahy SC for Apple Distribution Ltd told the hearing that the company was happy to address all the concerns raised by locals. These included flooding fears, energy usage, environmental and climate change impact and wildlife issues.

    Mr Mulcahy said a range of experts would address the concerns. He said while the company was committed to using renewable energy, it was not proposing any generating facilities on site but would be connected to the national grid.

    He said the development would not require increased generation capacity and the company would enter into a contract with a renewable energy supplier. Apple has claimed that it will run the centre on 100pc renewable energy. The 24,500 sq m centre in Athenry was granted planning permission by Galway County Council. It has since been appealed by eight parties.

    ...

    Oisin Collins, representing a residents group, said Apple would be the largest private user of electricity in the State, if it were to expand its presence to the predicted level over the next 15 years.

    It would use 300MW of power, which is 8pc of the national capacity and more than the daily entire usage of Dublin city. He questioned whether the impact on the national grid had been fully assessed.

    http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/apple-athenry-centre-will-need-more-than-dublins-daily-electricity-supply-hearing-34744102.html




  • Reply 18 of 22
    holyoneholyone Posts: 398member
    cnocbui said:
    latifbp said:
    Cocnobi- Apple plans to use nature as the source of energy. For people to wonder why they wouldn't build in an obnoxious, environmentally stale, solid concrete slab of waste is regressive thinking; "why don't these big businesses just keep doing things the old way where we ruin an area and strip it of its usability like they always do?" This is the future and Apple ultimately is trying to create a synergistic use of energy and production that fuels renewable energy. But no, let the non-future gazing locals cast a bunch of doubt on engineering acumen and a top VP who used to head the EPA. Nope Apple must be trying to pull a fast one on you people /s. WTF dude?! You all might as well vote for Trump to be your president...
    Apple do not plan to power this facility from on-site renewables so they could have just as easily - probably more easily - have constructed it in an existing business park in Galway.  This site will be connected to Ireland's national grid.  The electricity fed into the grid comes from a variety of sources, some from coal, Gas and peat fired power stations and some from wind turbines and a trickle from hydro.  Apple have said they will contract with a renewable energy supplier, which just means that somewhere else, a dirty great wind farm be built, spoiling the views and property values of a few thousand people and chopping up countless birds and bats, and will feed into the national grid an amount of energy equivalent to 120% of that which Apple's server farm consumes.  The extra 20% is because there are near windless days when none of the various wind farms produce anything so all the energy in the country has to come from good old reliable sources like coal.

    This facility if ever completed, will increase Ireland's total electricity usage by 8%.  That means another entire gas/coal/peat fired power station will possibly have to be built just so as to be able to power it when the wind isn't blowing.

    Such is the BS of electricity generated from renewables.

    Trump would never be voted for in this country, we aren't stupid.
    Man cocnobi is really in love with this particular apple project to some seriously irrational levels
    latifbp
  • Reply 19 of 22
    holyoneholyone Posts: 398member
    "Personally I share the views of some who have asked why Apple couldn't have built this in an existing business park or similarly zoned area. Plonking this in the middle of a quiet rural setting seems completely inappropriate. You don't seem to appreciate it, but Apple have actually had a very smooth ride with this, despite some articles designed to make it seem." Totally agree the problem with the purported benefits of construction of this thing "in the middle of some quiet rural landscape" are in reality far less rational if you consider the reality out side of some misguided and borderline inappropriate sense of environmental responsibility that though commendable on apple's part in this instance may be incorrectly applied.
  • Reply 20 of 22
    latifbplatifbp Posts: 544member
    holyone said:
    cnocbui said:
    Apple do not plan to power this facility from on-site renewables so they could have just as easily - probably more easily - have constructed it in an existing business park in Galway.  This site will be connected to Ireland's national grid.  The electricity fed into the grid comes from a variety of sources, some from coal, Gas and peat fired power stations and some from wind turbines and a trickle from hydro.  Apple have said they will contract with a renewable energy supplier, which just means that somewhere else, a dirty great wind farm be built, spoiling the views and property values of a few thousand people and chopping up countless birds and bats, and will feed into the national grid an amount of energy equivalent to 120% of that which Apple's server farm consumes.  The extra 20% is because there are near windless days when none of the various wind farms produce anything so all the energy in the country has to come from good old reliable sources like coal.

    This facility if ever completed, will increase Ireland's total electricity usage by 8%.  That means another entire gas/coal/peat fired power station will possibly have to be built just so as to be able to power it when the wind isn't blowing.

    Such is the BS of electricity generated from renewables.

    Trump would never be voted for in this country, we aren't stupid.
    Man cocnobi is really in love with this particular apple project to some seriously irrational levels
    cocnob is just like his name sounds ... Apple hasn't steered me wrong. They are under intense scrutiny. But some freak on here posts some link from God knows where just like Trump facts
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