AVAIO Appomattox: $3B AI Data Center 1GW Virginia
Status: Under Construction (Site Prep / Early Civil) | Location: 452-Acre Site, Heartland Innovation Technology Park, Appomattox
Project Overview
AVAIO Appomattox, internally known as Project Hercules, is a strategic $3 billion hyperscale development designed to expand Virginia’s data center footprint beyond the power-constrained Northern Virginia corridor. Officially moving into site preparation in late 2024 and entering active civil works by March 2026, the campus covers 452 acres of shovel-ready land. The site is uniquely positioned outside the "Data Center Alley" gridlock, offering a high-reliability alternative for AI, HPC, and cloud deployments.
The "Hercules" campus is defined by its dual-power path. While it has secured an initial 300 MW of grid capacity from Dominion Energy and CVEC, the site is located directly atop the Williams Transco gas pipeline. This allows AVAIO to implement behind-the-meter (BTM) thermal generation to scale the campus to 1 gigawatt total capacity without waiting for traditional grid transmission upgrades. Sustainability is integrated via 30+ MW of on-site solar and a focus on water-neutral cooling to preserve the Central Virginia watershed.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | AVAIO Appomattox: $3B AI Data Center 1GW Virginia |
| Location | 452-Acre Site, Heartland Innovation Technology Park, Appomattox |
| Status | Under Construction (Site Prep / Early Civil) |
| Commissioning | Phase 1: Q3 2027; Full Buildout: 2030+ |
| Total IT Load | 300 MW (Grid) / 1,000 MW (Total Master Plan) |
| Total Capacity | Multi-building Hyperscale Campus (436-452 Acres) |
| Tier Level | Tier III+ (AI-Optimized) |
| Project Type | Hyperscale / AI & Power Campus |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Appomattox |
| Population | 18,000 (Population estimate, adjust accordingly) |
| Urban Agglomeration | 20,000 (Urban area population, adjust accordingly) |
| City GDP | $300 million (Adjust based on the latest data) |
| Per Capita Income | $35,000 (Based on the national average or city data) |
| City Tier | Tier 4 (Example: Tier 4 city classification, adjust if needed) |
| Key Strengths | Rich historical significance |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | AVAIO Digital |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Dominion Energy / CVEC / Williams Transco |
| Construction Contractor | TBD (National Hyperscale Specialist) |
| MEP Engineering | DLB Associates / Schneider Electric |
| Network Connectivity | Dense long-haul fiber (Zayo, Windstream, Segra) |
| Power Infrastructure | Dual-feed Grid + On-site Gas Pipeline access |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Power Capacity | 300 MW (Grid) / 700 MW (BTM Gas) / 1 GW (Total) |
| UPS Redundancy | $N+1$ with Lithium-Ion BESS integration |
| Cooling System | High-Efficiency Evaporative Hybrid (Water-Optimized) |
| Connectivity | Strategic access to primary North-South long-haul fiber |
| PUE Target | 1.15 |
| Energy Mix | Grid + 30MW On-site Solar + Natural Gas BTM |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | December 10, 2024 |
| Construction Start | Late 2025 / Early 2026 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Q3 2027 (Target 50MW energized) |
| Full Buildout | 2030+ |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | $3 Billion |
| Funding | AVAIO Capital / Institutional Partners |