Applied Digital Corporation has initiated construction on Polaris Forge 2, a $3 billion, 280-megawatt data center facility in Harwood, North Dakota, marking a significant expansion of the company's artificial intelligence infrastructure capabilities. The project represents the company's second large-scale AI-focused data center in the state and is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. According to Alicia Shapiro, head of news reporting at AiNews.com, the facility will incorporate advanced waterless cooling systems and renewable energy integration while creating more than 200 permanent jobs in the region.
The data center launch coincides with Applied Digital securing a $5 billion equity facility with Macquarie Asset Management, structured to finance the company's high-performance computing expansion and strengthen liquidity across upcoming buildouts. This substantial financial backing, combined with $160 million in strategic financing, positions Applied Digital as one of the most ambitious builders of AI-ready infrastructure in the United States. The company's comprehensive investment strategy targets sustainable, liquid-cooled, GPU-optimized data centers specifically designed for next-generation AI workloads.
The Polaris Forge 2 facility represents a major commitment to developing specialized infrastructure for artificial intelligence applications, with the waterless cooling technology addressing both environmental concerns and the intensive cooling requirements of high-density computing. The project's scale and technological focus reflect the growing demand for specialized computing infrastructure capable of supporting advanced AI models and applications. For more information about the company's operations and projects, visit https://www.applieddigital.com.
Applied Digital's expansion strategy comes at a time when demand for AI computing capacity continues to outpace available infrastructure, particularly for large language models and other compute-intensive applications. The company's approach combines hyperscale expertise with proprietary cooling technologies and rapid deployment capabilities, aiming to deliver secure, scalable computing resources at industry-leading speed and efficiency. The North Dakota location provides strategic advantages including access to renewable energy sources and favorable operating conditions for data center operations.
