The Tallaght District Heating Scheme will use waste heat from a data centre in Tallaght to provide low carbon heat to public sector buildings (including County Hall), as well as 1,400 nearby residential apartments and over 2000m2 of commercial buildings.

The Scheme, which will be the first of its kind in Ireland, will reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the South Dublin County area by approximately 1,500 tonnes per year in its first phase.

The objective of the scheme is to decrease greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of fossil fuels for heating in the area in order to contribute to national level renewable energy, energy efficiency and CO2 targets and establish Tallaght as a leader in innovation in the area of climate change.

The scheme is funded by the European Union's HeatNet NWE programme, a multi-million euro fund for schemes that reduce CO2 emissions in Europe's north-west, by €4.5 million from the Project Ireland 2040 Climate Action Fund and through direct funding from South Dublin County Council.

Phase one of the Tallaght District Heating Scheme will provide heat to South Dublin County Council’s office headquarters and the TU Dublin Tallaght campus. During normal operation, the heat demand will be fully covered from heat generated at the data centre. The subsequent phases of the project will facilitate the connection of other public, private, and residential customers in the Tallaght area including the proposed residential development at Belgard Gardens, which will be home to more than 3,000 people.