CleanArc breaks ground on 900MW Virginia hyperscale campus
Author: Joe Peck
CleanArc Data Centers, a developer and operator of hyperscale data centre campuses, has just announced the groundbreaking of its flagship campus in Caroline County, Virginia.
Offering 900MW of grid capacity, the new data centre campus will aim to support the growing demand for scalable, sustainability-focused, and hyperscale-ready digital infrastructure.
Governor Glenn Youngkin joined local officials, community partners, and CleanArc leadership at the ceremony, celebrating the official start of construction on the project.
“Today marks an important milestone for CleanArc Data Centers and Northern Virginia,” says James Trout, founder and CEO of CleanArc Data Centers. “This new, leading-edge campus reflects our commitment to delivering reliable, efficient, and sustainable data centre solutions while supporting the local economy and workforce.”
Features of the VA1 campus
The VA1 campus is designed to meet growing hyperscale demand, featuring:
• Nearly 1GW of grid power — With the first 300MW coming online in Q1 2027, the second 300MW currently projected for 2030, and another 300MW in the 2033–2035 timeframe, the campus seeks to ensure robust redundancy and resilience, supporting both current demand and future scalability.
• Sustainability and efficiency focus — The VA1 campus incorporates land conservation initiatives, minimal water usage with closed-loop systems, and design features to reduce noise and light pollution. At VA1, customers have the option to leverage CleanArc’s approach to energy structuring – what it calls “True Additionality” – where clean energy is added onto electric grids in the region where the energy is being consumed.
• Design focused on scalability and speed — Using advanced modular data centre design and off-site manufacturing, CleanArc intends to deliver pre-engineered, factory-tested systems to the construction site to reduce complexity, shorten deployment timelines, and help customers capture market opportunities faster.
The future potential
The project is backed by majority investor Snowhawk and minority investors Nuveen and Townsend Group, who all say they are committed to “driving the next wave of AI and cloud innovation while prioritising responsible growth and community impact.”
VA1 is expected to generate approximately $13 million (£9.9 million) in new annual tax revenue for Caroline County, equivalent to 17% of the county’s current general fund.
The project will also create at least 50 new full-time jobs in the county and hundreds of additional jobs during the project’s construction over the next several years.
Additionally, CleanArc is reportedly partnering with local vendors and workforce programs to support economic growth in the county
Brian McMullen, Managing Partner and co-founder of Snowhawk Partners, comments, “We are thrilled to support this project, which represents a significant investment in the future of digital infrastructure and underscores our commitment to building advanced, sustainable facilities that empower businesses and communities.”
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