A former ethanol plant outside Richmond, Virginia, could be set to host a data center.Local press, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Progress-Index, report that data center consulting firm Volterra Advisors has been conducting studies about placing a data center at the site at 701 S 6th Ave in Hopewell.Full details haven’t been shared, but Volterra told press the facility could total 20MW across 50,000-70,000 sq ft (4,645-6,505 sqm).Hopewell is an independent city surrounded by Prince George County, some 20 miles south of Richmond.After opening in 2014, Green Plains Inc. bought the Hopewell ethanol facility in 2015 from Future Fuels LLP. The company announced plans to shut the site in late 2018.Approximately 31 employees on site manufactured some 60 million gallons of ethanol annually. The first ethanol operation on the East Coast, it produced ethanol from corn, barley, and other small grains.Real estate development firm NS Development Partners acquired the former ethanol site in February.“This investment signals strong momentum and confidence in Hopewell’s future—we can’t wait to see what’s next!” the city of Hopewell said at the time. Founded in 2023, NS Development has largely been focused on industrial warehouse developments to date.Volterra Advisors is a data center advisory firm working across strategy, site development, leasing, and transactions. The company was launched this year by former CloudHQ VP Jeramy Utara. He said at the time he had “multiple locations” with live electrons available in 2026, including with Legacy Investing.“There’s potential to re-use the natural gas lines,” Utara told the Progress-Index of the Hopewell site.