Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

351 Chapter 13: Environment and Industry Topic Box 13.6  Potential cumulative impact of pollutants Impact of ammonia emissions to air from intensive agriculture on Natura 2000 Sites. Natura 2000 is a European network of important ecological sites (as outlined in Chapter 7). The potential impacts in Natura 2000 sites from intensive pig and poultry installations are ammonia emissions to air and resultant nitrogen deposition. When above critical levels, ammonia adversely impacts biodiversity through eutrophication, acidification or direct toxic effect. Nitrogen deposition has been identified as one of the leading causes of global biodiversity decline, alongside changing land use practices and climate change. Associated with this, Ireland has been served with an infringement notice by the European Commission because of non-compliance with ammonia reduction commitments. In Ireland there is a significant concentration of licensed intensive agriculture sites in Counties Cavan and Monaghan (see Figure 13.3). Over 70% of all EPA-licensed poultry farms are in County Monaghan. Owing to the density of intensive agriculture and the presence of Natura 2000 sites in the same region, the planning, development and permitting of intensive agriculture sites in this area needs to be carefully examined and managed to ensure that the sensitive Natura 2000 sites are protected. EPA-funded research assessed the impact of ammonia emissions from intensive agriculture installations on special areas of conservation and special protection areas (Kelleghan et al. , 2020). The EPA has since issued guidance for prospective licence applicants on conducting assessments of the potential impact of emissions on Natura 2000 sites (EPA, 2023). The cumulative impact of air emissions from the existing intensive agriculture sector in a relatively small region has resulted in a restriction on the potential expansion of the sector in that area. The EPA is reviewing over 200 licensed intensive agriculture sites to ensure that licences are brought into line with the most recent BAT to control emissions from these facilities, including emissions of ammonia to air. The revised licences for this sector will require new technologies and practices to be implemented that will reduce ammonia emissions to air. Data centres. The continued growth and evolution of the technology sector in Ireland is an important component of the national economy. The number of data centres, an associated aspect of this industry, has increased significantly in Ireland in recent years. Data centres provide storage and processing capacity for digital data and are an essential component of our digital economy. Data centres require a continuous supply of electricity to operate, which is often provided by a connection to the national grid. However, outside normal operating conditions, for example in the case of a loss of the national grid as a power source, data centres typically rely on both on-site battery storage (uninterruptable power supplies) and on-site power generators. Typically, the generators will be brought online in the event of grid power supply issues, if critical power system maintenance work is being undertaken or if there is a request from the grid operator to reduce grid electricity load. The use of on-site power generation has brought data centres into the EPA’s licensing regime under the IED. The IED applies to installations with generating capacity of 50 MWth and above, including standby plants. There are over 20 licensed IED installations in Ireland, mostly in north County Dublin and County Meath. The primary emissions of concern from these data centres are emissions to air from the on-site power generation units, in particular NO x . There is now a high concentration of these types of installations in a relatively small geographical area around Dublin.