27/03/2026 in Views from Echelon
Echelon Data Centres has announced a major milestone for Ireland’s energy and digital infrastructure landscape: the development of the country’s first Green Energy Park (GEP) at its DUB20 campus in Arklow, Co Wicklow.
This landmark project aligns directly with the Irish Government’s Large Energy Users Action Plan (LEAP) – a framework designed to ensure energy-intensive industries can grow sustainably while supporting national climate targets.
Green Energy Parks are a new model of infrastructure development defined by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. They bring together high-energy-demand facilities – such as data centres – with renewable energy generation and storage. Green Energy Parks are required to:
- Be primarily powered by renewables
- Have battery storage or dispatchable backup from energy centres
- Reduce reliance on the grid
- Promote innovation and wider benefits such as using waste heat for district heating schemes
The DUB20 campus is the first real-world example of this model being delivered in Ireland.
Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment expects Green Energy Parks to play a key role in achieving Ireland’s climate targets while sustaining investment, employment and digital infrastructure growth.
He said: “The Large Energy Users Action Plan sets out a clear pathway for how energy-intensive industries can develop in a way that strengthens Ireland’s grid, accelerates renewable deployment and supports our climate ambitions.
“The Green Energy Park being developed at DUB20 is an important example of that model in action – co-locating data infrastructure with offshore wind, onsite solar, battery storage, and grid-supporting capacity. This is exactly the kind of forward-planned, sustainable development we want to see delivered under LEAP.”
Delivering on the LEAP Vision
Echelon’s DUB20 campus is being designed in direct alignment with the LEAP framework. Key features include:
Co-location with Offshore Wind Renewables – The DUB20 campus includes a joint 220kV substation developed with SSE Renewables, enabling access for up to 800MW of offshore wind energy from Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2.
Onsite renewable generation – Solar PV systems are planned as part of the campus, with the potential to generate more than 6,000MWh per annum.
Grid-support – Two onsite energy centres will allow DUB20 to manage its own energy needs and also export power back to the national grid when required – creating Ireland’s largest grid-supporting asset that is not a traditional power station
Energy storage and low-carbon fuels – Echelon will co-locate battery energy storage systems and use hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to reduce onsite generation emissions by up to 90%.
Together, these elements demonstrate how large-scale digital infrastructure can operate in harmony with renewable energy systems.
A Model for Responsible Data Centre Development
The DUB20 campus, which forms part of Echelon’s €4.2bn investment in the DUB20 and DUB30 facilities in Wicklow, Is located at the former Irish Fertilisers Industries site at the Avoca River Business Park in Arklow.
Construction is underway and due to be completed by 2028. It represents a major regeneration project for the region and positions Arklow as the first live example of a Government-aligned Green Energy Park under development in Ireland.
An independent Economic Impact Assessment by KPMG found that the DUB20 and DUB30 campuses could generate up to €7.5bn in economic output during construction and €801m annually once operational. The assessment also found that every €1 invested could yield €1.60 in wider economic activity, with thousands of jobs supported during both construction and operation.
Echelon Co- Founder Graeme McWilliams said: “The establishment of Ireland’s first Green Energy Park at DUB20 demonstrates how large-scale digital infrastructure can be developed responsibly and in lockstep with national climate and energy policy.
“By co-locating data centre capacity with offshore wind, onsite solar and grid-supporting infrastructure, we are delivering the exact model envisioned under the Government’s LEAP framework – cutting emissions, reinforcing energy security and supporting regional economic growth.”
