Electricity consumption by data centres increased by 31% between 2021 and 2022. The increase between January to March 2015 and October to December 2022 was 400% (See Table 2).
The percentage of metered electricity consumed by data centres rose from 5% in 2015 to 18% in 2022. This was an increase of 4,016 Gigawatt hours between 2015 and 2022 (See Table 1 and Figure 1).
Total metered electricity consumption increased by 20% or 4,900 Gigawatt hours between 2015 and 2022 (See Table 1).
Quarterly metered electricity consumption by data centres increased steadily from 290 Gigawatt hours in the first quarter of 2015 to 1,450 Gigawatt hours in the fourth quarter of 2022 (See Table 2 and Figure 2).
The CSO used various approaches to identify data centres: searching for names and aliases of known data centres; examining customers with high consumption located in specific business parks; and checking the customer names of all meters with a high annual consumption. Reports produced by other organisations, the CSO Business Register, and internet searches were also used. See the Background Notes for more information.
| Table 1 Metered Electricity Consumption 2015-2022 | ||||
| Gigawatt hours | % of Total | |||
| Year | Data Centre | Other Metered Customers | Total | % Data Centre |
| 2015 | 1,236 | 23,364 | 24,600 | 5 |
| 2016 | 1,477 | 23,879 | 25,356 | 6 |
| 2017 | 1,755 | 23,970 | 25,725 | 7 |
| 2018 | 2,172 | 24,558 | 26,730 | 8 |
| 2019 | 2,478 | 24,027 | 26,505 | 9 |
| 2020 | 3,019 | 24,037 | 27,056 | 11 |
| 2021 | 4,001 | 24,505 | 28,506 | 14 |
| 2022 | 5,252 | 24,248 | 29,500 | 18 |
| % Consumption by Data Centres | |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| Table 2 Data Centres Metered Electricity Consumption by Quarter 2015-2022 | |||||
| Gigawatt hours | |||||
| Year | Jan-Mar | Apr-Jun | Jul-Sep | Oct-Dec | Total |
| 2015 | 290 | 302 | 315 | 328 | 1,236 |
| 2016 | 339 | 359 | 384 | 394 | 1,477 |
| 2017 | 405 | 432 | 448 | 470 | 1,755 |
| 2018 | 488 | 524 | 571 | 589 | 2,172 |
| 2019 | 576 | 598 | 635 | 669 | 2,478 |
| 2020 | 688 | 719 | 763 | 849 | 3,019 |
| 2021 | 919 | 984 | 1,032 | 1,066 | 4,001 |
| 2022 | 1,191 | 1,283 | 1,329 | 1,450 | 5,252 |
| X-axis label | Data Centres Consumption |
|---|---|
| Q1 2015 | 290 |
| Q2 2015 | 302 |
| Q3 2015 | 315 |
| Q4 2015 | 328 |
| Q1 2016 | 339 |
| Q2 2016 | 359 |
| Q3 2016 | 384 |
| Q4 2016 | 394 |
| Q1 2017 | 405 |
| Q2 2017 | 432 |
| Q3 2017 | 448 |
| Q4 2017 | 470 |
| Q1 2018 | 488 |
| Q2 2018 | 524 |
| Q3 2018 | 571 |
| Q4 2018 | 589 |
| Q1 2019 | 576 |
| Q2 2019 | 598 |
| Q3 2019 | 635 |
| Q4 2019 | 669 |
| Q1 2020 | 688 |
| Q2 2020 | 719 |
| Q3 2020 | 763 |
| Q4 2020 | 849 |
| Q1 2021 | 919 |
| Q2 2021 | 984 |
| Q3 2021 | 1032 |
| Q4 2021 | 1066 |
| Q1 2022 | 1191 |
| Q2 2022 | 1283 |
| Q3 2022 | 1329 |
| Q4 2022 | 1450 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (12 June 2023) published Data Centres Metered Electricity Consumption 2022.
Commenting on the release Niamh Shanahan, Statistician in the Environment and Climate Division, said: "The report shows the total metered electricity consumption by data centres by quarter for the period 2015 to 2022. Data centre consumption increased from 290 Gigawatt hours in January to March 2015 to 1,450 GWh in October to December 2022. Figure 2 shows a steady increase from quarter to quarter. The increase in consumption was driven by a combination of existing data centres using more electricity and new data centres being added to the grid.
The CSO published an additional release today showing total metered electricity consumption. The percentage of total metered electricity consumption accounted for by data centres increased from 5% in 2015 to 18% in 2022.
Large energy users with very high consumption accounted for 27% of total metered consumption in 2022. The total metered electricity consumption in 2022 was 29,500 GWh which was a 3.5% increase on 2021."