GridBeyond has announced that it will supply battery energy storage systems (BESS) to two data centers in Ireland owned by Singapore-listed Keppel DC REIT. Keppel DC Dublin 1 and 2 are located in City West and Ballycoon.
The project involves the installation and operation of two 2MW/2.2MWh BESSs at the Citywest site and a 4MW/6.1MWh BESS at the Ballycoolin site. GridBeyond will connect the batteries to its AI-powered energy technology platform, GridBeyond Point.
The batteries will provide flexible capacity to the energy system, integrating renewable energy sources into the energy mix and supporting the electricity grid in times of stress. It will add 8 MW of flexible capacity to the electricity grid ahead of the peak winter demand period.
GridBeyond regional director for Ireland, Denver Blemings, said: “This project shows how data centers can play a bigger role in the energy transition. It is great to see companies, such as Keppel DC REIT, using demand response programs to support the electricity grid and use sustainable energy to run their operations.”
Gary Watson, country manager (Ireland) of Keppel DC REIT, added: “By leveraging this partnership with GridBeyond, Keppel DC REIT can take another step towards our 2030 net zero targets. We will also explore other ways exploring ways to increase the use of renewable energy, such as installing on-site solar power, to strengthen our efforts to decarbonize our operations.”
Ireland’s energy storage
Ireland is predicted to have the highest growth rate in Europe in electricity demand and consumption, with an average annual increase of almost 7%. It is expected that data centers will play a major role in this; It is estimated that Irish data centers consumed around 5.3 TWh of electricity in 2022 – around 17% of the country’s electricity demand.
In April this year, ESB Networks announced that Ireland’s electricity grid has reached 1GW of energy storage available across various BESS assets. At the end of March, the Gore Street Energy Storage Fund secured a further 385 MW of energy storage in Ireland, of which 130 MW is operational. Ireland is identified as “a consistently lucrative market for the company”.
