TLDR: Google and Energy Dome are set to establish a cutting-edge battery storage facility in Rhode, Co Offaly, utilizing CO2 technology to boost Ireland’s energy resilience. The project, expected to commence in 2028, underscores the growing significance of data centres in Ireland’s energy landscape.
In a significant development for Ireland’s energy sector, tech giant Google is teaming up with energy storage innovator Energy Dome to build a battery storage facility near Rhode, Co Offaly. This ambitious project is positioned on the site of a former peat-fired thermal power plant, illustrating a shift from traditional energy sources to more sustainable technologies. The facility will leverage Energy Dome’s proprietary CO2 battery technology, designed to compress and store carbon dioxide when there’s excess grid power. When energy is required, the CO2 will expand through a turbine, generating electricity to be fed back into the grid.
With the necessary planning permission and grid connection secured, the project has also earned a 10-year capacity contract from EirGrid, aiming to go online by 2028. Claudio Spadacini, CEO of Energy Dome, expressed pride in collaborating with Google, emphasizing that this initiative could enhance Ireland’s energy sustainability and resilience. Similarly, Google Ireland’s head, Vanessa Hartley, noted that this milestone furthers their commitment to next-generation energy technologies and presents a significant step toward a clean energy future.
In recent years, data centres have rapidly escalated their energy consumption, accounting for 22% of Ireland’s electricity use in 2024, a stark rise from just 5% in 2015. Projections indicate that this figure could near a third of the national electricity demand by 2030. The Irish Government, recognizing this trend, recently published a Large Energy Action Plan to facilitate the growth of energy-intensive facilities, including data centres, following the lifting of an effective moratorium on new data centre connections.
But let’s be real here—while this partnership may sound like music to the ears of sustainability advocates, many are left wondering about the balance of power. Will the rising number of data centres push our already strained energy infrastructure to the brink? You could say we’re walking a tightrope between progress and folly. In a country where rain is more frequent than sunshine, relying on a new tech-enabled energy landscape feels a bit like trying to mix oil and water. Let’s hope the authorities have got their calculators at the ready because we’re going to need them.
Interestingly, with this shift towards CO2 battery storage, it’s worth noting that the world is witnessing rising interest in carbon capture technologies. Such innovations could play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change—a pressing concern these days. Whether this partnership will set a precedent for a slew of similar projects remains to be seen, but surely we’ve entered an era where a mix of carbon and technology might just save the day.
