Irish renewable investment firm Greencoat Renewables has launched a green digital infrastructure platform as part of a joint venture with UK investment firm Schroders Greencoat via its SCSL Global Energy Infrastructure vehicle.

The 50/50 JV initial investment will support the development of the Drogheda Energy Park, in Drogheda, County Louth, about 40km (24.8 miles) north of Dublin.

The new company intends to develop the brownfield industrial site that sits alongside Drogheda Port into an integrated energy park combining flexible on-site generation, storage, and advanced grid-services capability.

The park would be powered through renewable energy assets via corporate power purchase agreements to support an initial 36MW data center project. According to the companies, they are currently at the advanced stage of planning consent for the data center project. Further details on the project’s timeline were not immediately available.

“There is an exciting opportunity in integrating data center demand with renewable energy generation to support the rapid growth of AI-driven digital infrastructure. Building on our track record in renewable energy generation, Drogheda Energy Park represents a logical next step for our business and a blueprint for future investment opportunities,” said Paul O’Donnell, investment manager at Schroders Greencoat.

The partners have said that the platform will focus on opportunities where grid access, land, and energy infrastructure can be combined to serve the fast-growing and high-energy requirements of digital infrastructure.

“Ireland is at the start of the next digital infrastructure investment cycle, supported by innovative new government policy. AI-driven demand for data centers, combined with the need to deliver sustainable energy solutions to support the national grid, calls for trusted, experienced operators who can deliver on Ireland’s energy needs at scale. We are well positioned to deliver large, high-impact projects that will boost energy security, support digitalization, and contribute to Ireland’s net-zero ambitions,” added O’Donnell.

Greencoat has signed several energy supply deals with data center companies. Last May, the firm inked a 10-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Greencoat Renewables to power two data centers in Dublin, Ireland. The deal was the second between the two companies, following a PPA in April 2024 for 67GWh per year from Greencoat’s Ballybane Phase 1 wind farm in County Cork, Ireland.

The company has a portfolio of approximately 40 energy assets, made up predominantly of wind power with a combined capacity of 1.5GW. While based in Ireland, it operates across six European countries, including France, Germany, Finland, Spain, and Sweden.

Schroders Greencoat is a London-based specialized investment manager focused on energy transition infrastructure. The investment manager holds a 75 percent stake in Greencoat Renewables, which it acquired in 2022.