Apple asked to ‘pool’ resources

Ambitious proposals for a 50-metre Olympic-sized swimming pool for Athenry – which would be ‘driven’ by waste heat from Apple’s planned data centre – have been put to the tech giant.

The company has already committed to using renewable energy for its new facility – which is expected to begin operations in 2017 – and to any ‘green’ suggestions from the local community for its 500-acres site at Derrydonnell. Experts believe it would be possible to construct an aquatic centre – with at least a 50m swimming pool – using waste heat from a single ‘data hall’. Apple is understood to be planning at least eight halls for the Athenry site.

It’s understood that by recovering waste heat from the facility, the aquatic centre could save between €200,000 and €400,000 annually.

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames described the proposal as exciting, and said she has already put queries to Apple and the IDA.

“This is an exciting proposal and a very positive idea. It would be excellent for the region,” she said.

John Stevens from Lisheenkyle East – who proposed the idea in the first instance – said: “An aquatic centre with at least a 50m swimming pool would possibly use a significant proportion of the waste heat from a single data hall, making it a viable option.

“The data centre is modular in design, with the construction of eight or more individual data halls, which are each self-contained, and to be built over a period of 10 years or so.

“Each data hall has its own electrical and ventilation system, and this would possible make the re-use of waste heat from just one hall very feasible.

“The design of the subsequent data halls need not be modified from existing plans, which are just using ambient air to cool the electronic equipment, and expel the waste heat back to the surrounding area.

“Another option, is to take heat from their second data hall, so this would not slow the construction of their first phase, which they want up and running by 2017.

“From what I understand, they are hoping to have all the planning applications completed in three to six months, and start construction very soon after that.

Energy Consultant Leo Corcoran explained that Apple’s Danish data centre is designed to provide secondary energy to the local district heating system.

“In the case of Athenry no existing infrastructure exists to utilise the available secondary energy.

“While a swimming pool is an option for absorbing secondary energy it is not an ideal application because the heat requirement for a swimming pool would be a tiny fraction of the heat available from the data centre.

“However, if there is a requirement for a 50m pool in the area, and provided the economics of the pool are proven, there is good logic for locating it close to the data centre, if Apple are willing to design their energy system to facilitate heat recovery, the swimming pool would use a small amount of available secondary energy but it would improve the environment credentials of Apple and its commitment to Corporate and Social Responsibility.”