Plans for a new massive data centre park, Hanover Technology Park, with a capacity of 2.4 GW has been announced by Tract in Richmond, Virginia. The company acquired a 1,200-acre plot of land which will be used to build the park. Located in Hanover County, the land is just 25 miles north of Richmond city. Tract expects horizontal development to begin later this year. It has already started engaging in permitting activities.
Tract is a company that constructs such data parks across the country and leases them out to various companies. These companies can then develop their own centres at the park.
Scope of the Park
Late last year, reports about the company planning the project surfaced. Documents showing the plans showed that up to 46 buildings would be put up on the site. Additionally, they showed that Tract paid US$33 million for the parcel of land located on the south line of Hickory Hill Road at its intersection with Old Ridge Road.
Early this year, Hanover County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors unanimously approved zoning, and entitlements for the site. This, however, came after several delays. The Timmons Group and Hirschler Fleischer, PC supported Tract in the entitlements and transaction process.
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Tract Hanover Technology Park timeline
Tract is aiming for the project to be operational by 2028. The initial substation and power for bridging are expected to come on in 2026. Tract is working with Dominion Energy for this and they have already ordered long lead equipment. According to Tract, over 20,000 acres of land in the United States is either owned by the company or under contract. All their properties are either in various stages of design, rezoning or horizontal construction.
The development company is led by van Rooyen. He is the president of the van Rooyen Group and founder of US data center firm Cologix. “The US economy’s demand for services provided from data centers continues to grow. We worked with the State of Virginia and Hanover County to responsibly site this project in an area planned for light industrial uses to maximize community benefits and minimize impacts to neighbors,”
The Tract Reno Data Centre Park
Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners acquired a majority stake Tract in 2017. Late last year, the company also announced plans for a 2 GW data park in Reno, Nevada. Early this year, it broke ground on the development that is spread across 2,200 acres of land. It is located in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRI) in Storey County. The total acreage is comprised of two areas commonly referred to as the Peru Shelf and South Valley.
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In addition to the land, Tract also controls over 1,100 acre-feet of water rights. It has commitments from NV Energy to deliver over two gigawatts of power, beginning in 2026. “We have been working with Tract for nearly a year now and are excited to partner with them on these projects. These data center parks will be some of the biggest consumers of energy on our system. Tract’s approach of long-range planning allows us to engage and collaborate early to ensure reliable, affordable, and sustainable power will be delivered,” explained NV Energy President and CEO Doug Cannon.
