Household electricty bills here are subsidising data centres by hundreds of millions of euro a year.

That's according to a Sunday Independent report, which claims Bord Gáis is set to receive €132 million in payments for a power station being built near west Dublin data centres.

Author of the report John Ryan has said every day is different in terms of power generation.

"The power market is very complex," he said.

"It essentially depends whether the wind is blowing or not as to how much gas we need and what proportion of our electricity comes from gas.

"The problem is that if we continue increasing data centres we will actually need more of these gas power stations."

Bord Gáis's Profile Park facility is due for completion later this year and will be eligible for the payments.

Main image: A data silo with magnetic tapes is pictured at the German Climate Computing Centre (DKRZ) in Hamburg, Germany, 25 February 2013. The DKRZ is celebrating its 25th anniversary on 25 February 2013. Photo: Sven Hoppe