County planners have expressed numerous serious concerns over the proposed Apple data centre in Athenry – including the impact on the environment, the national power, the road network grid and flood risk.
Already, planning consultant Peter Sweetman has warned the centre will impact electricity supply and generation for the entire country.
In a wide-ranging request for further information on the plans for the 500-acre site, the County Council queried to what extent other sites had been investigated for the development.
The company now has up to six months to respond or the application will be deemed withdrawn.
The application includes a single-storey data centre building measuring more than 263,000 square feet; a single-storey logistics and administration building measuring 56,000 sq ft; single-storey maintenance building measuring 3,100 sq ft an two small ‘fibre huts’, a security hut, ESB substation and 18 standby generators.
The Council pointed out that the application’s Environmental Impact Statement submitted lacked detail in relation to other sites investigated for the proposal.
“Justification for this development at this location is required, observing and considering adjoining Local Area plans and their zoned land provision,” they wrote.
Planners also queried how exactly Apple plans to fulfil its plan for 100% renewable energy and sought entire clarification on electricity supply and why 18 generators are required.
They demanded clarification on figures for electricity demand and impact on the National Transmission Network and on other users of the network.
The application references a “temporary impact” on electricity supply when new high-power cables are being aligned.
Apple has entered into pre-application talks with An Bord Pleanála for the provision of a 220Kv substation and powerlines at the site.
The application claims only one generator will be in use at any one time – planners have sought clarification on the need for 18 generators, and their predicted noise levels.
Planners said the Flood Risk Assessment report failed to take previous groundwater/flooding events in the area into account and did not consider climate change.
The Council has also ordered a Road Safety Audit to be carried out, pointing out that an estimate of 10 Heavy Goods Vehicle movements per hour “may be underestimated”, and that traffic can only use the national and regional road network.
Following numerous submissions in relation to cycle and walkways, the local authority has also sought a workplace travel plan.
Planning consultant Peter Sweetman has called on the Council to reject the application on the grounds that the EIS fails to address the full impact the development will have.
“Apple claim in their submission that the development will be 100% renewable from day one. Yet it will be connected to the National Grid and therefore will receive its power from a mix of sources.
“As the majority of renewable energy in this country is sourced from wind, an intermittent power source, it is impossible to run this centre on 100% renewable energy,” he said.
He also enquired whether the 33 hectares of woodland being felled was being compensated for elsewhere.
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