(Cascade) — A company building a battery storage facility at the Berry Hill Megapark says it might be another year before they turn their first shovelful of dirt.
Strata Director of Development Adam Thompson tells Virginia Business the project is in a “holding pattern” while economic development officials try to attract clients to Berry Hill, the largest available Megasite on the east coast.
Thompson says construction could start in 2026.
Earlier this year, the city and county’s Regional Industrial Facility Authority signed off on plans for Strata to build the lithium-ion battery storage facility on Lot 6 at Berry Hill, next to an AEP substation. In addition to giving the mega park more reliable power on hand, the center will also generate tax revenue for Danville and Pittsylvania County.
Berry Hill finished just out of the running for a massive Hyundai plant in 2022. The following year they barely missed out on a battery production facility. Albemarle Corporation chose a site in Chester County, South Carolina.
More recently, Berry Hill was in the running for a Ford EV plant that would have been owned by a Chinese firm. Governor Glenn Youngkin pulled Virginia from consideration, citing concerns about the project’s ties with China’s communist government.