Written answers
Thursday, 23 November 2023
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Trade Missions
Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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67. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in relation to his recent trip to Korea and proposals for further data centres in this State, if he or his Department officials discussed the State’s energy crisis with his Korean counterparts; if the drain on the State’s energy system from the current number of data centres here was outlined or discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51601/23]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As part of Team Ireland Trade Mission Week to South Korea program , I attended the signing of a MOU between Lumcloon Energy, an Enterprise Ireland client and SK Ecoplant, a subsidiary of the SK Group (2ndlargest conglomerate after Samsung) , for a joint data centre project running on fuel cell technology, which would be the very first in Europe. A fuel cell uses the chemical energy, which is generally hydrogen, to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity with water and heat as the only products.
As part of Enterprise Ireland’s Leading in a Changing Worldstrategy, the government’s trade agency is supporting and encouraging companies to lead globally on sustainability and achieving climate action targets. The transition to a low carbon and circular economy and achievement of a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 across all sectors of the economy represents a whole of society challenge.
Enterprise, along with all sectors, must fundamentally change, to adapt to this challenge and realise the many opportunities this transformation represents. The Lumcloon/SK Ecoplant project is an excellent example of a strategic international collaboration to collectively find solutions, improve lives and enhance efficiency and sustainability.
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