Cloud service provider EMC announced in late December that it is looking to expand its data center portfolio with an Ireland data center in County Cork.
The company is applying to the Cork County Council for planning permission to create a new data center at its existing Ovens plant. The new facility will include four stories of server space, as well as offices and a large parking lot. Construction would be completed in two phases.
If approved, the expansion project could take up to 10 years to complete, but EMC vice president Bob Savage said it is worth the wait since the Ireland data center is the main focus of the company's plans for global growth.
"The Irish operation continues to perform well and contributes significantly to the global EMC business," said Savage. "As we continue to innovate and advance new and exciting technologies, it is important that we are well-positioned to accommodate further business growth here in a timely manner."
The site at Ovens was EMC's first facility outside the U.S. and is currently used mainly for research and training. The site focuses on researching data center sustainability and energy efficiency. It is the company's largest complex outside the U.S. and is one of eight "centers of excellence" located around the world.
The new Cork data center is expected to create between 200 and 500 jobs in the area, adding to the company's existing Irish workforce of 3,000. Ireland's Defense Minister Simon Coveney said the plans for the facility prove that Ireland is a "hugely attractive location for investment."
"Ireland's economic recovery is well under way and the country has made significant advances in positioning itself among its EU counterparts as a tech hub," said Savage.
Brought to you by WiredRE, the nation's leading cloud, colocation, and data center advisory firm.
