{"id":2113273,"date":"2026-08-26T14:57:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T11:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2113273"},"modified":"2026-08-26T14:57:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T11:57:05","slug":"ireland-keeps-nuclear-door-open-as-data-centre-energy-demand-surges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2113273","title":{"rendered":"Ireland keeps nuclear door open as data centre energy demand surges"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/88\/71\/82\/1200x675_cmsv2_371059a1-9410-5193-8776-1ae7ca74b04a-9887182.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2920852-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2920852\" data-cid=\"9890437\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920852-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/04\/37\/189x106_cmsv2_259cc852-16d1-5a1b-ab1f-a735f6f187b6-9890437.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE - CEO Jensen Huang talks during the keynote address of Nvidia GTC Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo\/Nic Coury)\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Markets<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Nvidia smashes Q2 forecasts at $96.2bn as AI hits &#8216;inflection point&#8217;\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920856-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2920856\" data-cid=\"9890454\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920856-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/04\/54\/189x106_cmsv2_375103c9-af92-5209-bcde-5384cdb32dac-9890454.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Revelers throw tomatoes at each other during the annual &quot;Tomatina&quot; tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol near Valencia\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    La Tomatina 2026: thousands turn Spanish town red in annual tomato fight\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920855-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2920855\" data-cid=\"9890453\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920855-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/04\/53\/189x106_cmsv2_f8db13c9-ab38-5edb-a3d1-a2306563164a-9890453.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Image shared by the US Capitol Police\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    USA<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US police arrest driver transporting guillotine in truck in Washington\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920831-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2920831\" data-cid=\"9890403\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920831-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/04\/01\/189x106_cmsv2_f4e6d0b4-ffbb-556c-9517-5316999cbeff-9890401.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE: Rescuers carry the body of a victim four days after the earthquake that struck Pereira, Colombia, on 14 August 2026. (AP Photo\/Brandon Pinto)\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    World News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    5.1-magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, forcing evacuations\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920852-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2920852\" data-cid=\"9890437\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920852-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/04\/37\/189x106_cmsv2_259cc852-16d1-5a1b-ab1f-a735f6f187b6-9890437.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE - CEO Jensen Huang talks during the keynote address of Nvidia GTC Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo\/Nic Coury)\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Markets<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Nvidia smashes Q2 forecasts at $96.2bn as AI hits &#8216;inflection point&#8217;\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920856-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2920856\" data-cid=\"9890454\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920856-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/04\/54\/189x106_cmsv2_375103c9-af92-5209-bcde-5384cdb32dac-9890454.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Revelers throw tomatoes at each other during the annual &quot;Tomatina&quot; tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol near Valencia\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    La Tomatina 2026: thousands turn Spanish town red in annual tomato fight\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920855-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2920855\" data-cid=\"9890453\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920855-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/04\/53\/189x106_cmsv2_f8db13c9-ab38-5edb-a3d1-a2306563164a-9890453.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Image shared by the US Capitol Police\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    USA<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US police arrest driver transporting guillotine in truck in Washington\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920831-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2920831\" data-cid=\"9890403\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920831-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/04\/01\/189x106_cmsv2_f4e6d0b4-ffbb-556c-9517-5316999cbeff-9890401.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE: Rescuers carry the body of a victim four days after the earthquake that struck Pereira, Colombia, on 14 August 2026. (AP Photo\/Brandon Pinto)\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    World News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    5.1-magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, forcing evacuations\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Ireland keeps nuclear door open as data centre energy demand surges<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/88\/71\/82\/1536x864_cmsv2_371059a1-9410-5193-8776-1ae7ca74b04a-9887182.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"A Meta data center in Dublin, Ireland.\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              A Meta data center in Dublin, Ireland.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AP Photo \/ Bram Janssen<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AP Photo \/ Bram Janssen\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspMarta Pacheco\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1787756225\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-08-26 16:57:05 +02:00\">26\/08\/2026 &#8211; 16:57 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div 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height=\"24\" alt=\"threads\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"threads\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        The power-hungry AI revolution is driving Dublin toward a historic decision on nuclear power after decades of opposition and a legal ban.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>Ireland is keeping the door open to nuclear power as a potential answer to the growing energy demand from data centres, even as the government insists its immediate energy strategy will remain firmly focused on renewables, an Irish government official told Euronews.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;There is a need to consider all options (with decarbonising potential) in the long-term,&#8221; a spokesperson for the Irish Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment said.<\/p>\n<p>Political talks about the future of data centres are heating up in Dublin, the Silicon Valley of Europe. According to the country&#8217;s Central Statistics Office, data centres consume roughly 21% to 22% of Ireland&#8217;s total electricity, a figure projected to rise toward 31% by the early 2030s with the massive surge of artificial intelligence models.<\/p>\n<p>Ireland has never produced nuclear power and officially banned domestic nuclear generation by law in 1999, citing an international record of nuclear accidents.<\/p>\n<p>The government maintains that Ireland should prioritise technologies that can deliver quickly, including onshore wind, solar, battery storage and interconnectors, as well as the country\u2019s first offshore wind projects.<\/p>\n<p>But Irish Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin hinted in May at a new &#8220;openness&#8221; on turning to nuclear, shortly before urging the Irish people to stop the &#8220;demonisation of data centres&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>Data centres in the EU consumed an estimated 70TWh of electricity in 2024 and are projected to reach 115 TWh by 2030, enough to power roughly 32.9 million European homes for an entire year.<\/p>\n<h2>A long road ahead<\/h2>\n<p>Nonetheless, Dublin acknowledges that conventional nuclear power plants would take years to develop, and wouldn&#8217;t be a quick fix for the growing demand from data centres expected in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, investment in nuclear would require Ireland to build an entirely new regulatory system covering everything from construction and operation to decommissioning and radioactive waste.<\/p>\n<p>According to the government official, &#8220;nuclear power could not practically be part of our electricity system until at least the 2040s&#8221;. Nonetheless, Dublin is increasingly signalling that it does not want to rule it out beyond that point. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Ireland unveils blueprint to electrify economy by 2050<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to the government spokesperson, a technical study is examining 30 technologies capable of helping decarbonise the electricity system, including nuclear. <\/p>\n<p>The assessment will compare technologies on cost, readiness, deployment times and public acceptance. The decision would also help Ireland lower electricity prices, currently the highest in the EU, followed by Cyprus.<\/p>\n<h2>Revoking the ban<\/h2>\n<p>However, the biggest immediate hurdle to unleashing nuclear power in Ireland is legal. But in May, Fianna F\u00e1il legislator James O&#8217;Connor introduced a bill to legalise nuclear energy, inaugurating a new debate on the matter.<\/p>\n<p>And on 2 June, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism &amp; Employment, Fine Gael&#8217;s Peter Burke, presented an economic study showing that the data centre sector in Ireland generates \u20ac2.2 billion in economic activity annually and supports 19,500 jobs. <\/p>\n<p>The Irish government coalition hailed the report as proof that the data centre sector plays a critical role in driving economic activity in Ireland.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe report highlights that the continued development of data centre capacity must be aligned with Ireland\u2019s economic, energy and climate objectives,&#8221; Burke said. &#8220;Through our new Large Energy User Plan, all new data centres must provide their own energy generation onsite or nearby, 80% of which must be from renewable sources.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tom Parlon, chair of the Irish Data Centre Supplier Alliance, welcomed the economic study, saying it provides &#8220;clear evidence&#8221; of the scale of economic activity the data centre sector can deliver in Ireland.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We routinely hear claims that the data centre sector creates no jobs and provides little benefit to the Irish economy, yet this report shows these claims couldn\u2019t be further from the truth,&#8221; Parlon said.<\/p>\n<h2>Economic prosperity vs environmental degradation<\/h2>\n<p>But data centres aren&#8217;t viewed so positively by the general public. Critics argue they use as much electricity as entire cities and require millions of litres of water a day just to stay cool. In many cases, water is pulled straight from local communities, often already hit hard by drought. <\/p>\n<p>A new EU law that would force data centres to reveal their true energy costs and push them to clean up their emissions is being challenged by Big Tech lobbyists. If unchallenged, the new data centre rating scheme is expected to apply from 15 August 2027, with the first sustainability labels generated. <\/p>\n<p>Worried about the environmental impact, green groups are urging Energy Commissioner Dan J\u00f8rgensen to stop data centres&#8217; rapid expansion ahead of a final decision between the EU co-legislators due by the end of the year.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Which country in Europe has the most data centres driving the AI boom?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Commenting on the growing debate about the possibility of building a nuclear power plant in Ireland, Ois\u00edn Coghlan, policy adviser to the Irish Environmental Network, derided the Irish premier&#8217;s recent words on nuclear as &#8220;vice signalling&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;From his St Patrick\u2019s day trips to the US he knows the Trump administration is very keen on AI,&#8221; Coghlan told Euronews. &#8220;Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin is making it clear that his Government will do whatever it takes to power US tech data centres, not just with the \u2018windmills\u2019 that Trump hates, but with macho nuclear too. Even if it takes too long, costs too much and isn\u2019t needed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Scott Lane, founder and CEO of Speeki, an independent environmental, sustainability and governance assurance firm, said that despite the environmental risks, data centres are a &#8220;necessity&#8221; for the future of the world&#8217;s economies despite their &#8220;massive impact&#8221; on the environment and the question of where they can be built fairly.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Rather than fighting a foregone conclusion, the onus must now be on policymakers and ESG leaders to mitigate, and wherever possible turn positive, the environmental impact of these centres,&#8221; Lane told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That might be through tougher due diligence on operators and third-party providers when it comes to how they interact with and impact local communities, or it might look like fast-tracking renewable energy solutions and responsible water-cooling systems. If data centre providers cannot evidence that they are making progress on these fronts, businesses and their Chief Sustainability Officers must walk away.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Younger Italians warm to nuclear power as Meloni pushes revival four decades after Chernobyl<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Rolls-Royce secures deal to build small nuclear reactors for Sweden<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Europe&#8217;s nuclear leaders: Which countries produce the most?<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  EU Policy<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Nuclear Energy<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Ireland<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li 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alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-top-stories\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-top-stories\">\n<h2 class=\"c-top-stories__title\">Top stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2920818-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920818\" data-cid=\"9890327\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920818-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/03\/27\/320x180_cmsv2_154aa67b-ab1f-5a96-a8ef-b75e75a10a3c-9890327.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mark Carney is Prime Minister of Canada since March 2025\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Carney to address European 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src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920818-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920818\" data-cid=\"9890327\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920818-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" 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Director John Ratcliffe listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, March 26, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Why did the CIA director fly to Moscow: Ukraine, NATO or Iran?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920661-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920661\" data-cid=\"9889300\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920661-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/88\/93\/00\/320x180_cmsv2_4ab7069e-3355-5f9d-9901-008faad1bd69-9889300.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks about Canada&apos;s response to new US tariffs during a news conference in Ottawa..\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Canada wants to get closer to the EU &#8211; but how far can it go?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920795-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920795\" data-cid=\"9890268\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2920795-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/02\/68\/320x180_cmsv2_97249a5d-b296-5373-8ec6-8c8a4ea89d0d-9890268.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, Sunday Aug. 23, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 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Meta agrees to pay $17bn in landmark US child-safety settlement deal<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920295-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920295\" data-cid=\"9889255\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Putin signs decree allowing state seizure of drone-hit businesses<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920528-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920528\" data-cid=\"9888725\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    French man detained in Italy after three Akeron missiles found in van<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920388-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920388\" data-cid=\"9888919\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Row over weight of half a loaf leaves German baker with \u20ac15,000 bill<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920328-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920328\" data-cid=\"9887542\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Conservatives, liberals call to freeze EU cash for Romania over mayor<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920471-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920471\" data-cid=\"9888332\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Just three European cities named among the top 10 for nightlife<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Ireland is keeping the door open to nuclear power as a potential answer to the growing energy demand from data centres, even as the government insists its immediate energy strategy will remain firmly focused on renewables, an Irish government official told Euronews.&#8221;There is a need to consider all options (with decarbonising potential) in the long-term,&#8221; a spokesperson for the Irish Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment said.Political talks about the future of data centres are heating up in Dublin, the Silicon Valley of Europe. According to the country&#8217;s Central Statistics Office, data centres consume roughly 21% to 22% of Ireland&#8217;s total electricity, a figure projected to rise toward 31% by the early 2030s with the massive surge of artificial intelligence models.Ireland has never produced nuclear power and officially banned domestic nuclear generation by law in 1999, citing an international record of nuclear accidents.The government maintains that Ireland should prioritise technologies that can deliver quickly, including onshore wind, solar, battery storage and interconnectors, as well as the country\u2019s first offshore wind projects.But Irish Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin hinted in May at a new &#8220;openness&#8221; on turning to nuclear, shortly before urging the Irish people to stop the &#8220;demonisation of data centres&#8221;.Data centres in the EU consumed an estimated 70TWh of electricity in 2024 and are projected to reach 115 TWh by 2030, enough to power roughly 32.9 million European homes for an entire year.A long road aheadNonetheless, Dublin acknowledges that conventional nuclear power plants would take years to develop, and wouldn&#8217;t be a quick fix for the growing demand from data centres expected in the future.Moreover, investment in nuclear would require Ireland to build an entirely new regulatory system covering everything from construction and operation to decommissioning and radioactive waste.According to the government official, &#8220;nuclear power could not practically be part of our electricity system until at least the 2040s&#8221;. Nonetheless, Dublin is increasingly signalling that it does not want to rule it out beyond that point.According to the government spokesperson, a technical study is examining 30 technologies capable of helping decarbonise the electricity system, including nuclear.The assessment will compare technologies on cost, readiness, deployment times and public acceptance. The decision would also help Ireland lower electricity prices, currently the highest in the EU, followed by Cyprus.Revoking the banHowever, the biggest immediate hurdle to unleashing nuclear power in Ireland is legal. But in May, Fianna F\u00e1il legislator James O&#8217;Connor introduced a bill to legalise nuclear energy, inaugurating a new debate on the matter.And on 2 June, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism &amp; Employment, Fine Gael&#8217;s Peter Burke, presented an economic study showing that the data centre sector in Ireland generates \u20ac2.2 billion in economic activity annually and supports 19,500 jobs.The Irish government coalition hailed the report as proof that the data centre sector plays a critical role in driving economic activity in Ireland.\u201cThe report highlights that the continued development of data centre capacity must be aligned with Ireland\u2019s economic, energy and climate objectives,&#8221; Burke said. &#8220;Through our new Large Energy User Plan, all new data centres must provide their own energy generation onsite or nearby, 80% of which must be from renewable sources.&#8221;Tom Parlon, chair of the Irish Data Centre Supplier Alliance, welcomed the economic study, saying it provides &#8220;clear evidence&#8221; of the scale of economic activity the data centre sector can deliver in Ireland.&#8221;We routinely hear claims that the data centre sector creates no jobs and provides little benefit to the Irish economy, yet this report shows these claims couldn\u2019t be further from the truth,&#8221; Parlon said.Economic prosperity vs environmental degradationBut data centres aren&#8217;t viewed so positively by the general public. Critics argue they use as much electricity as entire cities and require millions of litres of water a day just to stay cool. In many cases, water is pulled straight from local communities, often already hit hard by drought.A new EU law that would force data centres to reveal their true energy costs and push them to clean up their emissions is being challenged by Big Tech lobbyists. If unchallenged, the new data centre rating scheme is expected to apply from 15 August 2027, with the first sustainability labels generated.\u00a0Worried about the environmental impact, green groups are urging Energy Commissioner Dan J\u00f8rgensen to stop data centres&#8217; rapid expansion ahead of a final decision between the EU co-legislators due by the end of the year.Commenting on the growing debate about the possibility of building a nuclear power plant in Ireland, Ois\u00edn Coghlan, policy adviser to the Irish Environmental Network, derided the Irish premier&#8217;s recent words on nuclear as &#8220;vice signalling&#8221;.&#8221;From his St Patrick\u2019s day trips to the US he knows the Trump administration is very keen on AI,&#8221; Coghlan told Euronews. &#8220;Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin is making it clear that his Government will do whatever it takes to power US tech data centres, not just with the \u2018windmills\u2019 that Trump hates, but with macho nuclear too. Even if it takes too long, costs too much and isn\u2019t needed.&#8221;Scott Lane, founder and CEO of Speeki, an independent environmental, sustainability and governance assurance firm, said that despite the environmental risks, data centres are a &#8220;necessity&#8221; for the future of the world&#8217;s economies despite their &#8220;massive impact&#8221; on the environment and the question of where they can be built fairly.&#8221;Rather than fighting a foregone conclusion, the onus must now be on policymakers and ESG leaders to mitigate, and wherever possible turn positive, the environmental impact of these centres,&#8221; Lane told Euronews.&#8221;That might be through tougher due diligence on operators and third-party providers when it comes to how they interact with and impact local communities, or it might look like fast-tracking renewable energy solutions and responsible water-cooling systems. If data centre providers cannot evidence that they are making progress on these fronts, businesses and their Chief Sustainability Officers must walk away.&#8221;<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/08\/26\/ireland-keeps-nuclear-door-open-as-data-centre-energy-demand-surges&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/88\/71\/82\/1200x675_cmsv2_371059a1-9410-5193-8776-1ae7ca74b04a-9887182.jpg&#8221;] Markets Nvidia smashes Q2 forecasts at $96.2bn as AI hits &#8216;inflection point&#8217; No Comment La Tomatina 2026: thousands turn Spanish town red in annual tomato fight USA US police arrest driver transporting guillotine in truck in Washington World News 5.1-magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, forcing evacuations Markets Nvidia smashes Q2 forecasts at $96.2bn [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2113273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2113273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113273\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2113273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2113273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2113273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}