logo
Amazon drops €300m Irish investment on energy supply concerns

Amazon drops €300m Irish investment on energy supply concerns

RTÉ News​2 days ago
Online retail giant Amazon decided not to go ahead with a €300m investment which would employ more than 500 in Dublin because it did not receive the necessary guarantees about power supplies the plant would require.
The facility would have been an AI testing and manufacturing facility and not a data centre.
It is understood that the multinational believed it has not received sufficient reassurance that it would be able to get an adequate power supply to proceed with the project.
Amazon had been in negotiations with ESB Networks regarding a connection for the plant from 2027 onwards.
Following a report in the Irish Times this morning, ESB Networks said it had been "discussions" with Amazon about progressing a feasibility assessment.
It added it was "actively working" with Amazon to connect the facility "up until the decision was taken not to proceed in Dublin."
In a statement, Amazon was it was "disappointed that it did not prove possible to proceed with this project."
"If conditions allow, we do hope to be able to make other high-tech investments elsewhere in Ireland," it added.
Amazon had planning permission for the plant which is in an area which already has heavy electricity use by industry.
In the past Amazon has made investments worth €22 billion in Ireland.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

John Whelan: Tariff-free services exports are key to growth for now
John Whelan: Tariff-free services exports are key to growth for now

Irish Examiner

time10 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

John Whelan: Tariff-free services exports are key to growth for now

Across the business front, particularly the digital providers, an audible sigh of relief can be noticed as it became clear that the EU's €93bn list of countermeasure tariffs against the US does not include services trade. The EU's countermeasures will automatically click into force on August 7, said the European Commission, should the US fail to drop the Trump-threatened 30% tariff on all EU exports by then. The big worry for Ireland's services companies, which are mainly US multinationals, accounting for €115bn in exports sales in the first three months of the year as reported by the Central Statistics Office earlier in the month, was that the EU countermeasure tariffs on the US would include services. This would have had major implications for the many thousands employed in the sector, likely forcing relocations to other non-EU countries, as well as significantly hitting the Government's corporation tax take. Now the full weight of the EU-US tariff war is set to fall on the wide range of manufactured goods, inclusive of food and drinks products, which could impact on sales output to our largest customer the US, and in the process hitting State funding. The implication of this change in trading relationship with the US is the need to bolster support for Ireland's traders in the services sector, in particular, digital trade providers such as Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. Foreign-owned enterprises account for 80% of Ireland's services exports, the second highest of the OECD countries, as reported in its Services Trade Restrictiveness Index report 2025. This leaves Ireland more exposed than most countries to US trade pressures, as the vast majority of these Ireland-based multinationals are US-owned. Retaining these global digital players in Ireland must continue to be a priority for the Government, but also there is an urgent need to do more to develop indigenous Irish companies, to ensure more controllable and sustainable growth of the services exports sector. Amazon scraps plan for plant Amazon's scrapping of its plan to build an industrial plant in Dublin, involving a €300m investment which would employ more than 500, because it did not receive the necessary Government guarantees about power supplies the plant would require, is a clear indicator of the challenges faced in retaining the multinationals in Ireland. This Amazon project loss is a critical blow to our attempts to stay up with the global AI tech race, as the now scuttled project involved the creation of an AI testing and manufacturing facility and not a data centre. It would also have enabled the training of a fresh cohort of employees, who could in the future enable the setting up of indigenous AI start-ups. To date, Enterprise Ireland, which supports Irish-owned companies, has failed to significantly grow the service exporting industry. Enterprise Ireland client companies account for under 2% of our total service trade exports. The other 18% of the services exports from Ireland come from entrepreneurs who have built their export businesses without State support. Many of them depend on good access to digital services platforms provided by the likes of Google, Meta, and Microsoft, which again underscores the critical reliance on the connection with the US. Reducing dependence on the US and deepening EU integration in services could be achieved by encouraging more innovation and stimulating much-needed investment. An easy win should be with the UK, which last year imported €314bn in services, but only €12bn from Ireland. Service sector reforms are, of course, not going to be easy, either in their politics or in their execution. The freedom to establish a company in another EU country and the freedom to provide or receive services in another EU country are already established for many services through the EU Services Directive — but implementation has been weak. Services regulations are complex and highly decentralised. In many EU member states, reforms are often implemented by professional associations, who may have a bias against reforms or even a conflict of interest. Many professions and industries thrive on the fees that regulatory constraints generate — and you and I, as service users, are rarely aware of the costs that these regulations impose on us. Read More Trump and von der Leyen set for crunch meeting on EU-US trade talks

Nanoleaf Pegboard review: declutters desk, charges devices and colours your life
Nanoleaf Pegboard review: declutters desk, charges devices and colours your life

Irish Daily Mirror

time16 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Nanoleaf Pegboard review: declutters desk, charges devices and colours your life

Nanoleaf's range of lights include decorative wall panels and bulbs along with the likes of the stunning Umbra Cup Smart Lamp that I previously reviewed. The firm's new Pegboard Desk Dock is a clever three-in-one device that offers personalised lighting effects, handy storage hooks for keeping your desk organised along with useful charging ports. It's pitched as a customisable lamp accessory for gaming desks. It works with both Mac and Windows computers and is compatible with the Nanoleaf Desktop app. READ MORE: I tested Xgimi MoGo 4 to see can a portable projector deliver enough entertainment on the go READ MORE: Nothing Phone 3a review: is this the best smartphone you can buy for less than €400? One side of the unit is a pegboard that provides somewhere to hang accessories like headsets and gaming console controllers, not to mention your smartphone. You need to assemble this side yourself but it only takes a few minutes. The opposite side houses 64 colour LEDs with screen-mirroring support for those moments when you just want a decent ambient lighting show. Pegboard Desk Dock is a robustly made device that doesn't take up much room on my desk. The base is only 107mm x 107mm x 18mm in size, while the pegboard is 23mm x 91mm x 274mm. It helps keep my desk clutter free when I am working while enabling me to have some accessories within easy reach whenever I need to use them. Both sides of the Nanoleaf Pegboard Desk Dock (Image: Nanoleaf) And when I'm not working I can rotate the Pegboard Desk Dock to the LED lighting side for immersive visuals to brighten up the room. You can easily flip between the two modes thanks to its rotating mechanism. You can have full control over the colours and the lighting if you wish, or you can use handy presets such as Lava Lamp or Waterfall. If you are listening to music, you can sync the lighting show to the beat easily. It all works smoothly. I'm always in need of more charging ports when I'm working and I love that this clever device includes one USB-A and two USB-C ports along with a USB-C Power Delivery input port. Charging is capped at 15W but that's acceptable for such a versatile device. Nanoleaf Pegboard Desk Dock verdict Overall, I'm super pleased with this fun Nanoleaf accessory which has brightened up my working environment and proved a great addition to my desktop set-up. Nanoleaf pricing and availability Nanoleaf Pegboard Desk Dock costs €69.99 from Nanoleaf. There is also €10 off the twin pack which costs €129.99. You can also buy the Pegboard Desk Dock on Amazon. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.

Redmagic offers fans €50 off high-end gaming smartphone in flash summer sale
Redmagic offers fans €50 off high-end gaming smartphone in flash summer sale

Irish Daily Mirror

time2 days ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Redmagic offers fans €50 off high-end gaming smartphone in flash summer sale

Gaming smartphone market pioneer Redmagic has officially launched its summer sale. The firm is giving fans the opportunity to avail of exclusive regional discounts on the Redmagic 10 Pro, from the high-end gaming smartphone series that continues to raise the bar for mobile gaming performance. Redmagic is a world-renowned gaming smartphone brand that offers more superior performance for gamers along with plus points such as the highest frame rates, sharpest graphics and the longest battery life. READ MORE: I tested Starlink Mini to see if satellite internet really could be the future READ MORE: Eufy E15 robot mower review: is this clever wireless machine the future of gardening? It is a global leader in this category, offering similar specs as the Asus ROG Phone series but at much more affordable prices. Last year, Redmagic 10 Pro became the first phone to market in Ireland and the EU with the blazing fast high-end Snapdragon Elite chip that has gone on to power all of the main 2025 Android flagship smartphones. The star of the show on Redmagic 10 Pro is the latest high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC (Image: Redmagic) When Redmagic 10 Pro was launched, my review said it was 'by far the most powerful smartphone I tested in 2024 and a gamer's delight'. I added that it was an 'affordable gaming powerhouse with liquid cooling tech, unbelievable battery life and an array of Google Gemini AI smarts'. My review added: 'Redmagic 10 Pro offers plenty to get excited about. You get a dazzling 1.5K AMOLED display with ultra-slim bezels and a 144Hz refresh rate. The company claims this is the most advanced full screen on the gaming phone market. The new device also boasts a 7,050mAh battery that is the largest capacity I've ever seen in a gaming smartphone.' Now you can buy that phone with a huge discount of €50 off in the Redmagic summer sale. The discounts are applied automatically on the official Redmagic store and are available on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last. The promotion covers all variants of the Redmagic 10 Pro in every available colour, giving fans the freedom to choose the configuration and style that best suits their gaming needs and personal taste. From bold designs to signature finishes, every edition is now more accessible than ever. There are also deals to be had on a range of accessories such as the clip-on Redmagic VC Cooler 6 which now costs €10 less at €44.90 You also buy a range of Redmagic products from Amazon, while the Rog Phone 9 Pro competing gamer phone is also on sale at Amazon. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store