Energy

Microsoft in new bid for fossil fuel licences to power Dublin data centres

Tech giant has lodged two new applications for licences to run diesel generators at south Dublin data centre campus – separate from its plan to build a private gas plant at the same location

Microsoft: company has sought permission to operate generators for up to 500 hours a year. Picture: Getty

Microsoft is seeking permission to run nearly 140 emergency back-up generators to power 10 data centres at its south Dublin campus, in a move that follows its earlier application to build an unprecedentedly large-scale private gas plant in the same location.

The tech giant lodged two applications in December for special licences to operate 136 on-site generators with a combined capacity of 791 megawatts (MW) at its data centre hub at the Grange Castle Business ...