$3 billion data center campus set to break ground in Appomattox
AVAIO Digital Partners expects to start building its Project Hercules data center campus in Appomattox County by the end of 2026.
A $3 billion data center campus in Appomattox County is expected to start construction by the end of 2026, Cardinal News reported Oct. 5. The project, called Project Hercules, is being developed by AVAIO Digital Partners on about 452 acres in the county's industrial park, just outside the town of Appomattox.
The plan calls for six or seven data centers built over roughly 10 years. Data centers are allowed by right on the site, which is zoned for industrial manufacturing, so the project does not need a rezoning or a public hearing. The company has secured its permits, the state Department of Environmental Quality has approved its stormwater management plan, and a performance agreement with the county is being finalized.
Power is the main constraint. About 50 megawatts is available at the site today without new infrastructure, and the company is seeking more transmission capacity from Central Virginia Electric Cooperative and Dominion Energy. On its website, AVAIO markets the campus at 1,000 megawatts, with 300 megawatts from the grid and 700 megawatts from on-site generation, and targets initial power delivery in 2027.
The Town of Appomattox will provide up to 45,000 gallons a day of water and wastewater service. The build is expected to support at least 500 construction jobs, with 25 to 40 employees per data center once they are running.
The project has drawn local opposition. A petition against it has nearly 300 signatures, citing limited resident input, the effect on the landscape and environmental concerns. Residents protested in March, when the county held an informational meeting on the project.
Appomattox is moving ahead as Loudoun and Prince William counties, the center of Virginia's data center industry, make new projects harder to approve.
Data center growth is moving into rural Central Virginia, where by-right industrial zoning lets large campuses skip public hearings. How quickly power can be delivered will decide how fast this one gets built.
What's next
- End of 2026 Construction expected to begin
- 2027 Initial power delivery targeted