Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has abandoned its plans to construct a $1bn data center in rural Ireland due to setbacks on the regulatory approval front that have delayed the effort for over three years, according to a Reuters report.
Back in February of 2015, Apple revealed its intent to build the data center in Athenry, a town in county Galway, but the project was stalled by a series of court appeals.
Apple was poised to face an appeal in Dublin’s Supreme Court today that would have decided whether the project could move ahead, but it has opted to scrap its plans to build the data center entirely.
“Despite our best efforts, delays in the approval process have forced us to make other plans and we will not be able to move forward with the data centre,” Apple told Reuters. “While disappointing, this setback will not dampen our enthusiasm for future projects in Ireland as our business continues to grow.”
The data center would have created as many as 300 jobs, according to The Irish Times. Apple has been entrenched in Ireland since 1980 and now has more than 5,500 employees in Ireland.
Apple shares were up 0.6% to US$188.50 in morning trade.