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Apple Ditches Plans for $1 Billion Irish Data Center, Citing Approval Delays

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Apple has ditched its plans to build a $1 billion data center in Ireland because of continual delays in the approval process chiefly brought about by planning appeals by local residents (via Reuters).

Apple had been trying to get its $1 billion data center in County Galway, Ireland built for over three years, but has experienced pushback from individuals and organizations highlighting environmental protection issues.

Apple-Data-Center.jpg

Those against Apple's plans claimed a data center could have negative effects on local animal populations, while potential flooding concerns on a neighboring golf course were also raised. The planned site's proximity to a local nuclear power plant was later used to bring up new objections to the site's construction, despite the plant having been shut down for years.

In October 2017, Apple finally won approval for construction by the Irish High Court, after an appeal by two individuals against the decision was dismissed. However, the appellants decided to take their case to the country's Supreme Court, and while that hearing was due to go ahead on Thursday, Apple appears to have already decided to give up its fight to get the go-ahead for the data center.
"Despite our best efforts, delays in the approval process have forced us to make other plans and we will not be able to move forward with the data centre," Apple said in a statement ahead of the Supreme Court heading on Thursday.

"While disappointing, this setback will not dampen our enthusiasm for future projects in Ireland as our business continues to grow," the company said, citing plans to expand its European headquarters in County Cork where it employs over 6,000 people.
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Apple's decision to cancel its plans is a blow for the Irish government, which is seeking to boost the country's economy through foreign investments. According to Reuters, the state is in the process of changing its planning laws to include data centers as "strategic infrastructure", which would allow them to get through the planning process much more quickly in future.
"There is no disputing that Apple's decision is very disappointing, particularly for Athenry and the West of Ireland," Ireland's Minister for Business and Enterprise Heather Humphreys said in a statement.

"The Government did everything it could to support this investment... These delays have, if nothing else, underlined our need to make the state's planning and legal processes more efficient."
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Apple announced in July that it would spend $921 million on a second data center in Denmark run entirely on renewable energy. Apple said the new data center would begin operations in the second quarter of 2019 and would power its online services, including the likes of iMessage, Siri, Maps, and the App Store.

Article Link: Apple Ditches Plans for $1 Billion Irish Data Center, Citing Approval Delays
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/05/10/apple-ditches-plans-for-irish-data-center/
MacRumors said:


The planned site's proximity to a local nuclear power plant was later used to bring up new objections to the site's construction, despite the plant having been shut down for years.
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A local nuclear power plant? Ireland has no nuclear power. The nuclear power plant in question is in a different country.

Either way, it's no surprise that they were bogged down in the planning process — we have plenty of areas specifically zoned for Data Centres in Ireland and Apple ignored them all.
 
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Reactions: ignatius345, Cameroncafe10a, Scepticalscribe and 12 others
Great job from the angry pitchfork-wielding technology-fearing potato farmers. Their only experience with a computer was watching Logan's Run and as a result they've lost a huge investment for their community.

Now watch them complain that there aren't any local jobs or companies looking to set up shop. Not like the good ol' days, where you could buy a tractor for a punta and everybody carried on the family trade.

old.jpg
 
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Reactions: Cameroncafe10a, LethalOptical, Saipher and 8 others
It's a shame as this would be one of the least polluting projects constructed. It just needs electricity (which Apple is hell bent on powering with renewables) and water.

I feel bad for the local community, it seems that the plans were ultimately ruined due to just two individuals who continued the court case.
 
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Reactions: Deelron, ArtOfWarfare and gluckett
They have an animal problem? Easy way out, use the golf course and grow a forest...

No they won’t do that, but yes, they’ll waste the space to play golf...
 
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Reactions: ArtOfWarfare
Good for the community, it wouldn’t have generated much employment, probably nothing for the locals who actually live there right now.

They keep trying to build more houses and warehouses over the lovely land where I live. We are a village and want that land for walking Dogs and for the views from our homes.

There are plenty of existing places, the problem is people don’t buy them because they cost too much.... well immigration and the property market needs to be fixed.
 
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Reactions: ignatius345, Scepticalscribe, ssgbryan and 5 others
Wait wait wait.

So they have a golf course, yet they're worried about flooding or environmental changes because of a large building? Ireland needs to get their facts straight. Bulldoze the golfcourse (after removing all the toxins used on the "greens") then let it return to nature.
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itsmilo said:
Some countries value their nature
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Then why do they have a golf course?
 
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Reactions: FriendlyMackle, Solomani, tzm41 and 2 others
They probably found a better spot at a better price somewhere else. Or they wouldn't have stopped
 
maflynn said:
Wow, that's gotta be a kick in the teeth for the community. What would have been a boost to their economy has evaporated.
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WOW ... do you have a copy of the full cost benefits report for the project and this community or is this just more Apple can do no wrong boosterism, on your part? So, some cautionary advice going forward, unless you know more than what gets written on forums like this one, it's best to tone down the criticism of the community ... K.
 
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Reactions: ignatius345, RuralJuror, Scepticalscribe and 5 others
PickUrPoison said:
Besides the $1 billion that was to be spent on construction, there were to be 150 jobs. But yes, as you say, nothing for the locals now.
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Curious, how much of the $1 Billion in construction would have been local-sourced? As for the purported 150 jobs, do you know for sure that all 150 employees would have been purchasing/renting in this community or maybe they would have chosen Galway, a half-hours drive away. Gotta know all the facts, man.
 
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Reactions: RuralJuror, Scepticalscribe, ssgbryan and 3 others
Fake news.

Apple decided the billion was needed for Siri after Apple saw that Google A.I. phone call the other day.
 
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Reactions: nt5672
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