EXPERT OPINION
Billy Durie , Global Sector Head for Data Centres at Aggreko
FLAP market should the situation continue to deteriorate .
For example , national energy supplier , EirGrid , has forecasted that data centres could account for as much as 25 % of the nation ’ s electrical demand by 2030 . In order to try and cull this figure , section 4.2.4 of the organisation ’ s 2019 Connection Offer Process and Policy stipulates that EirGrid will only provide ‘ Firm Capacity ’ if the data centre will make available dispatchable on-site generation . Otherwise , the supply will be ‘ Flexible Demand ’ meaning that supply will be reduced when the grid is constrained .
The most recent development on this policy came in late 2021 , with EirGrid stating that it would no longer be accepting new data centre applications in Dublin until 2028 and that only current applications would be processed until this date . In practice , this has effectively ensured a moratorium on data centre construction in the capital for the remainder of the decade . Outside of Dublin , applications will be reviewed on a strictly case-by-case basis .
Should the FLAP markets continue along its current trajectory , legislative changes may well begin to mirror Ireland ’ s . Amsterdam , for example , has already imposed a temporary moratorium on data centre construction from 2019 , suggesting that it is a question of when , and not if , this comes to Frankfurt , London and Paris .
Bridging the energy gap
When the consequences of an unstable grid connection and possible legislative shifts are set out , it is clear that data centre operators simply cannot rely on a grid connection alone to power their facility . For this reason , it may be necessary to incorporate decentralised solutions on site , both to top up supply during peak time and bridge the energy gap in the event of an outage .
For example , introducing gensets in spinning reserve is one of the most effective safety nets a site can have . Here , a number of backup generators will be kept online but unloaded , ready to top-up supply in the event that the grid connection should wane .
Crucially , this approach is frequency responsive , meaning that contingency solutions will engage in as little as 10 seconds should supply dip , allowing a blackout to be avoided . Moreover , this also demonstrates compliance with www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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