Project Overview

Ellendale Data Center, also known as Polaris Forge 1, is Applied Digital's first AI Data Center campus and the anchor of its North Dakota build-out. The campus is designed for 400 MW of critical IT load, all of which is leased to CoreWeave under three leases worth about USD 11 billion in contracted revenue over roughly 15-year terms. 

Capacity has been delivered in phases: the first 100 MW building began service in late October 2025, 75 MW of the second building was delivered on 30 June 2026, and Applied Digital reports 250 MW live as of 1 October 2026. The company also reports a 150 MW building (ELN-04) in development. 

The campus draws on North Dakota's cold climate and wind-rich grid. The site uses excess energy from the city's electric substation, which can hold up to 2 GW of wind power, and PF1 uses up to 400 MW of it. MDU has credited USD 38.4 million to North Dakota customers over three years based on its service to PF1.

Ellendale Data Center Location

Polaris Forge 1 is a large-scale AI and high-performance-computing data-center campus located in Ellendale, Dickey County, North Dakota, United States. The campus is generally identified as being northeast of Ellendale, with a listed site address of 9663 87th Ave SE, Ellendale, ND 58436. 

Technical Specification

Project Background

Applied Digital began building at Ellendale in September 2022 as a crypto and HPC development, and the 180 MW Ellendale hosting facility for cryptocurrency mining is a separate operating asset in the same town. The AI campus, then described as 280 MW of potential capacity, was re-planned as a 400 MW AI Factory for CoreWeave. 

On 2 June 2025, Applied Digital announced two leases of about 15 years with CoreWeave for 250 MW of critical IT load and about USD 7 billion of revenue, with a 150 MW option. On 29 August 2025, it finalised the third 150 MW lease, bringing the campus to 400 MW and about USD 11 billion. 

The first 100 MW building came into service in late October 2025. In August 2025, residents of Ellendale voiced concerns about land use and power demand. The campus was annexed into the city of Ellendale in 2025 so that property taxes go to the city. In 2026, Applied Digital funded ELN-04 with USD 1.59 billion of notes and delivered the first phase of Building 2 on 30 June. 

Ellendale Data Center Current Status

Ellendale Data Center (Polaris Forge 1) is currently operating and expanding. Applied Digital reports 250 MW of CoreWeave capacity as of 1 October 2026 across two buildings and ten data halls, up from 100 MW in October 2025 and 175 MW as of 30 June 2026. 

A further 150 MW building (ELN-04) is under construction, funded by USD 1.59 billion of senior secured notes priced on 9 June 2026. The campus is designed for 400 MW of critical IT load and is expected to reach full capacity in 2027. 

Stakeholder Details

Ellendale Data Center Project Cost

Project Scope

The following is the project scope of the Ellendale Data Center Project:

• Provide long-term leased infrastructure. The leases have an approximately 15-year base term, with three five-year renewal options, and are expected to generate about USD 11 billion in aggregate lease revenue over the base term. 
  

• Deliver capacity in phased stages. Building 1’s 100 MW phase reached Ready for Service in October 2025; Building 2 (150 MW) was delivered in two 75 MW phases, bringing live campus capacity to 250 MW after the second phase. 
  

• Engineer the campus for high-density AI compute. Polaris Forge 1 uses Applied Digital’s proprietary design, including liquid cooling and power-distribution innovations, to support dense AI and HPC workloads. 
  

• Prioritize energy efficiency and low water use. The project is designed to optimize energy performance and total cost of ownership, with near-zero water consumption. 
  

• Use North Dakota’s climate and renewable-power opportunities. The campus design is intended to harness renewable power and leverage North Dakota’s cool climate to support sustainability and lower operating costs. 

Project Timeline

Benefits

The following are the benefits of the project:  

• Community investment and partnerships. The project has been recognized for its community investment and partnerships, reflecting its role in strengthening local relationships and supporting the Ellendale area. 
  

• Technological innovation. Polaris Forge 1 applies proprietary design and engineering innovations for high-density AI and high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure. 
  

• Lower electricity costs. By selecting a site with access to stranded or excess regional power, the campus can reduce annual electricity costs by an estimated USD 50 million to USD 60 million compared with other existing 100 MW data centers. 
  

• Large long-term cost savings. Applied Digital estimates that the site-selection and cooling-design approach can generate up to USD 2.7 billion in savings over a 30-year lifespan. 
  

• Free cooling advantage. North Dakota’s climate provides more than 220 days of free cooling annually, reducing cooling-related operating costs and improving sustainability.
  

• Energy efficiency. The campus is designed to achieve a projected Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.18, supporting lower energy consumption and operating costs. 

Conclusion

Polaris Forge 1 forms part of a fully contracted 400 MW deployment for CoreWeave under long-term lease agreements. The project is part of Applied Digital’s broader effort to convert access to power into operational AI capacity through a repeatable, scalable development model.

The project has demonstrated strong execution through the on-time delivery of Building 1 in October 2025, which reached its full 100 MW critical IT load after the completion of its second 50 MW phase. Applied Digital states that this progress reflects its focus on precision execution, speed-to-market, and purpose-built AI infrastructure delivery. 

As the campus advances toward its broader 400 MW deployment, Applied Digital remains focused on delivering production-scale AI infrastructure with the speed, precision, and sustainability required by modern AI compute. The project also demonstrates the company’s ability to turn power into operational capacity through its repeatable AI Factory model. 

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