Greencoat Renewables has launched a green digital infrastructure platform and announced its first investment at Drogheda Energy Park in Ireland.
The company said the platform will target opportunities where grid access, land and energy infrastructure can be combined to serve the growing energy demands of digital infrastructure, including AI-driven data centres.
The platform is a 50:50 joint venture between Greencoat Renewables PLC and Schroders Greencoat’s evergreen vehicle SCSL Global Energy Infrastructure, according to the company.
The first investment is Drogheda Energy Park on Ireland’s east coast, where the platform has acquired the Premier Periclase facility in Drogheda, County Louth, about 40km north of Dublin.
The brownfield industrial site beside Drogheda Port will be developed as an integrated energy park combining flexible on-site generation, storage and advanced grid-services capability.
The site intends to source electricity from renewable energy assets through corporate power purchase agreements to decarbonise power use for co-located large energy users.
Drogheda Energy Park is at an advanced stage of planning consent for an initial 36MW data centre project with local support for further development of the energy park.
The development is also expected to support regional investment and employment through the reuse and remediation of an established industrial site.
Paul O’Donnell (pictured), investment manager at Schroders Greencoat, said: “There is an exciting opportunity in integrating data centre demand with renewable energy generation to support the rapid growth of AI driven digital infrastructure.”
O’Donnell added: “Building on our track record in renewable energy generation, Drogheda Energy Park represents a logical next step for our business and a blueprint for future investment opportunities.”
O’Donnell said: “Ireland is at the start of the next digital infrastructure investment cycle, supported by innovative new Government policy.”
O’Donnell stated: “AI driven demand for data centres, combined with the need to deliver sustainable energy solutions to support the national grid, calls for trusted, experienced operators who can deliver on Ireland’s energy needs at scale.”
O’Donnell added: “We are well positioned to deliver large, high-impact projects that will boost energy security, support digitalisation, and contribute to Ireland’s net-zero ambitions.”