Google and energy storage company Energy Dome have announced plans for a battery storage facility near Rhode, Co Offaly.
The project is located on the site of a former peat-fired thermal power plant.
The facility will be developed, owned and operated by Energy Dome using its proprietary CO2 battery technology.
The system works by using grid power to compress and store CO2, then, when power is needed, expanding the CO2 through a turbine to generate energy that is sent back to the grid.
The project has secured planning consent and a grid connection.
It has also been awarded a 10-year capacity contract by EirGrid and is expected to come online in 2028.
“We are proud to work with Google on a project that strengthens grid resilience and unlocks the path to 24/7 carbon-free energy in Ireland,” said Claudio Spadacini, Founder and CEO of Energy Dome.
“This project is the first commercial bilateral deployment under the strategic partnership between our companies, which aims to develop CO2 Battery projects across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific,” Mr Spadacini said.
Head of Google Ireland Vanessa Hartley said Google is committed to using next-generation energy technologies to bolster grid resilience.
“This milestone is a next step in our long-term partnership with Energy Dome and will help scale their promising long-duration energy storage technology, charging ahead to an affordable, secure and clean energy future,” Ms Hartley said.
Data centres accounted for 22% of electricity usage in Ireland in 2024, up from just 5% in 2015.
It is estimated that the consumption level will grow to almost a third of the national electricity demand by 2030.
In January, the Government published a Large Energy Action Plan aimed at enabling the further development of energy-intensive facilities, including data centres.
It followed the lifting of an effective moratorium on new data centre connections.
In December, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities announced that data centres could be built where they meet at least 80% of their annual energy demand through new renewable electricity sources.
