Vantage Ashburn VA3 96MW Hyperscale Data Center
Status: Operational / Phase 3 Expansion Underway | Location: Ashburn, Virginia 20147
Project Overview
Project Quartz represents Vantage Data Centers’ major strategic expansion within Northern Virginia’s globally dominant data center corridor, reinforcing Ashburn’s position as the digital backbone of the modern internet economy. Situated on a highly secured 41-acre campus, the VA3 development is a next-generation hyperscale facility designed to deliver 96 megawatts of critical IT capacity across more than 715,000 square feet of technologically advanced operational space. The multi-story structure has been purpose-built to accommodate the rapidly increasing computational demands of hyperscale cloud platforms, enterprise AI model training, and high-performance computing workloads that require exceptional power density and thermal management capabilities. To support these intensive environments, the building incorporates a reinforced structural steel framework engineered specifically to sustain the substantial weight and vibration requirements associated with large-scale liquid-cooling infrastructure and next-generation GPU deployments. Vantage strengthened the project’s financial foundation through a comprehensive $1.4 billion green loan package, aligning construction and operational standards with aggressive sustainability benchmarks and Loudoun County’s increasingly stringent carbon emissions and acoustic compliance regulations. Functioning as a critical interconnection gateway, the campus provides ultra-low-latency access to the Ashburn fiber ring, enabling seamless connectivity for tier-1 cloud providers, global financial institutions, and multinational enterprises requiring resilient, high-speed digital infrastructure.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
| Project Name | Vantage Ashburn VA3 96MW Hyperscale Data Center |
| Location | Ashburn, Virginia 20147 |
| Status | Operational / Phase 3 Expansion Underway |
| Commissioning | Initial Phase: Q3 2024; Final Expansion Go-Live: Q1 2027 |
| Total IT Load | 96 MW |
| Total Capacity | 120 MW gross grid connection |
| Tier Level | Tier III (Concurrently maintainable infrastructure with 2N electrical redundancy) |
| Project Type | Brownfield Hyperscale Expansion / High-Density Campus |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
| City Name | Ashburn |
| Population | ~46,000 |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~6.4 million (Washington–Arlington–Alexandria metro) |
| City GDP | Not separately reported; part of Washington metro GDP ~$760+ billion |
| Per Capita Income | ~$52,000–$55,000 |
| City Tier | Tier 1 |
| Key Strengths | World’s largest data center cluster, Dense fiber connectivity, Proximity to Washington DC, Stable power infrastructure, Favorable tax incentives, Hyperscale cloud presence |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
| Developer / Operator | Vantage Data Centers |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Major Tier-1 Cloud Service Provider (Confidential Anchor Tenant) |
| Construction Contractor | HITT Contracting |
| MEP Engineering | Syska Hennessy Group |
| Network Connectivity | Zayo, Comcast Business, Crown Castle, and Verizon Dark Fiber Networks |
| Power Infrastructure | Dominion Energy (Dominion Virginia Power) |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
| Power Capacity | 96 MW of critical IT load (Supported by a dedicated 150MVA on-site substation) |
| UPS Redundancy | 4/3 Distributed Redundant (Block Redundant) configuration with flywheels and lithium-ion systems |
| Cooling System | Closed-loop air-cooled chillers with integrated economizers (Zero water consumption during normal operations) |
| Connectivity | 4 diverse, concrete-encased fiber entry points with direct cross-connects to the main Ashburn ecosystem |
| PUE Target | 1.20 annual average at full IT load capacity |
| Energy Mix | Powered by Dominion Energy’s regional grid, heavily backed by Vantage’s corporate 100% Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) matching program |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
| Announcement | Q2 2023 |
| Construction Start | Q4 2023 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Q3 2024 (Operational) |
| Full Buildout | Scheduled for completion by Q1 2027 |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
| Total Investment | $1.4 Billion USD |
| Funding | Syndicated Green Loan facility structured by a consortium of international institutional lenders led by Wells Fargo and TD Bank |