Apple has announced that it will no longer build a $ 1 billion (€ 850 million) data center in Ireland after planning delays that last more than three years, reports Reuters . Since 2015, Apple has wanted to build the data center in Athenry to be close to the green energy sources, but the plans have been met with stops in the approval process. The company had yet to start construction in the center. Apple also had to face an appeal in the Supreme Court of Dublin on Thursday on the initial approval of the first phase of construction.
"Despite our best efforts, the delays in the approval process forced us to make other plans and we will not be able to move forward with the data center," Apple said in a statement to Reuters. " Although it is disappointing, this setback will not diminish our enthusiasm for future projects in Ireland as our business continues to grow." Apple still has 6,000 employees at its European headquarters, located in Cork County, where it plans to expand. [19659004] According to The Irish Times the proposed construction of the data center in Athenry would have created about 300 jobs in multiple phases, while 150 technical employees would have been employed to administer the center a once it was completed.
In a statement, Ireland's Minister of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, said: "The Government, together with IDA Ireland, did everything it could to support this investment, including the high-level commitment to Finally, despite these efforts, Apple made a commercial decision not to continue, making it clear that the delays that affected this project led them to reconsider their plan. "
Apple first opened a manufacturing plant in Ireland in County Cork in 1980 and currently employs 5,500 throughout Ireland. Last year, Apple reached an agreement with the EU to pay the country $ 15.4 billion in back taxes.