Eye-watering development levy on data centre project revealed
A major seven-figure sum in development contributions is being levied by Westmeath County Council on the developers of a proposed multi-billion-euro data centre and energy campus.
The project by Red Admiral DC Ltd, part of the Lumcloon Energy Group, comprises a six-unit data centre and a decentralised energy resource at a site two kilometres south west of Rochfortbridge.
It was granted planning permission last week, subject to 32 conditions, one of which stipulates that the applicant must pay €8.24m in development contributions in respect of public infrastructure and facilities.
The council said the developer should contribute the sum towards the expenditure incurred or proposed to be incurred by Westmeath County Council in respect of the provision of or improvement of public services and infrastructure benefiting development.
The data centre project is being developed in partnership with SK Ecoplant, a Korean engineering company that announced its collaboration with Lumcloon to supply power to the data centre in 2023 from solid-oxide fuel cells, which generate electricity from natural gas.
A special levy of €289,367 is also being applied to deal with the long term damage long term damage to the road network used as a haul route for the development.
The applicant previously indicated that the project would provide an estimated 760 direct jobs and an additional 1,000 indirect jobs during a five-year construction phase.
Details in the planning documentation indicate that some 360-440 of direct jobs will involve on-site employees.
The new data centre will be unique in being co-located with a hybrid energy system using a combination of solar energy and fuel cell technology to generate power as well as a 250MW x 2hr energy storage facility. This design will allow the use of renewable energy via the national grid and generation locally at high efficiency.
The application was lodged directly with Westmeath County Council followed a ruling by An Coimisiún Pleanála that the proposed the development was not a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) and could not be submitted directly to the planning commission.
It’s highly likely the planning approval will be appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála
The data centre, originally proposed in July of 2025, has been the subject of more than 60 objections.
Lumcloon Energy welcomed Westmeath County Council’s decision to grant planning permission.
In a statement, it said the project would “deliver a next-generation data centre campus co-located with its own dedicated clean energy centre”.
It said the campus would become “a flagship for the Midlands”, with a future-proofed design built around low water and low resource consumption.
It said the project reflects the digitalisation and decarbonisation at the heart of Government policy, supporting the sustainable growth of the digital economy and a low-carbon energy future.
Nigel Reams, Chief Executive of Lumcloon Energy, said: “Red Admiral will be a transformational project for the Midlands, delivering significant investment, employment and regional growth.
“A next-generation data centre campus powered by its own dedicated clean energy centre is exactly the kind of ‘twin transition’ digitalisation and decarbonisation together, that Government policy is calling for, and we are proud to be delivering a future-proofed flagship for the region.”