17/09/2026 in News, Views from Echelon
Echelon Data Centres has become the first large energy user in Ireland to test new protocols which help protect the national electricity grid from outages caused by imbalances between power generation and demand.
Working with transmission system operator EirGrid and a team of key suppliers, we successfully completed a live test of Fault Ride Through (FRT) technology at our DUB10 data centre campus in Dublin.
The results demonstrate that a data centre can remain connected to the grid during brief voltage disturbances in the network – known as transient faults – helping to maintain grid stability and security of supply for all electricity customers.
A systematic rollout plan is under development for Echelon’s sites following the live test, which was attended by representatives of EirGrid, ESB Networks, Huawei, TNEI, NeoDyne, and also Ireland’s Department of Climate, Energy and The Environment.
Why Fault Ride Through matters
Electrical faults are common on power networks and can last for less than a tenth of a second. Although these events are extremely brief, the resulting voltage drop can cause large energy users such as data centres to disconnect from the grid and transfer to back-up power. When several large users disconnect at the same time, demand can fall sharply.
If grid demand drops too quickly, the resulting frequency imbalance has potential to cause grid stability issues. This refers to cases where the system frequency is outside of acceptable bounds, and stability may be further exacerbated by automatic load shedding of generators reacting to a sudden increase in frequency.
As the energy demands of data centres increase, the potential impact of synchronised load reduction, due to transient faults, has become more important in Ireland and globally.
To address this, Echelon has employed upgraded Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems to tolerate transient faults at its facilities without triggering back-up power and reducing grid demand. This will allow its data centres to stay connected to the grid, help maintain stable demand, and reduce the risk of outages.
The FRT test results, which have been shared with EirGrid, demonstrate the ability to meet the operator’s proposed grid code requirements.
Cormac Nevin, Echelon’s Director of Power, Planning and Utilities, said the company’s initiative is a first for the data centre industry, but will soon become standard practice wherever large-scale digital infrastructure interacts with the grid.
Mr Nevin said: “We’re delighted to conclude successful Fault Ride Through testing at our DUB10 campus. Working in collaboration with Huawei, TNEI, NeoDyne, and EirGrid, we were able to demonstrate that data centre demand can endure grid supply fluctuations and quickly restore power within milliseconds after faults are cleared.
“This is a global issue and by working with grid operators, suppliers and partners to develop practical solutions such as our Fault Ride Through protocols, Echelon is again demonstrating the importance of our Power First approach and our strong focus on collaboration with the energy industry.”
Building resilient digital infrastructure
The successful test is an important step in strengthening the way large-scale digital infrastructure interacts with electricity networks.
Fault Ride Through is expected to become standard practice as grid operators respond to changing patterns of electricity generation and consumption. By testing and implementing these measures now, Echelon is helping to establish a practical model that can support grid resilience in Ireland and other markets.
The initiative reflects our Power First approach: addressing energy requirements early, working closely with key partners, and designing data centre infrastructure that can operate responsibly within the wider energy system.
