Applied Digital has broken ground on Delta Forge 1, a new AI-focused data center campus in a southern U.S. market, marking the company’s latest expansion aimed at serving hyperscale artificial intelligence workloads.

The Delta Forge 1 campus is being developed to support 430 MW of total utility power, enabling up to 300 MW of critical IT load at initial buildout, with additional expansion capacity planned from 2028 onward. The project is designed to translate large-scale power availability into high-density AI computing capacity, a growing constraint for hyperscale operators as AI adoption accelerates.

At launch, the campus will consist of two 150-MW facilities spread across more than 500 acres. Once fully operational, Applied Digital expects the site to support more than 200 full-time employees, alongside long-term contractors, contributing to sustained economic activity in the region.

Applied Digital said the campus has been engineered specifically to accommodate the power integration, cooling systems, and operational requirements associated with large-scale AI workloads. The company is positioning Delta Forge 1 as part of a standardized campus model intended to support consistent execution as it scales its AI infrastructure portfolio.

The company is also in discussions with an additional investment-grade hyperscale customer for the site, signaling continued demand for purpose-built AI infrastructure capable of supporting high-density computing at scale.

Applied Digital expects Delta Forge 1 to leverage its existing AI campus design framework, previously deployed at the company’s Polaris Forge campuses in North Dakota. The company plans to begin initial operations in mid-2027.

Applied Digital’s latest development comes as other developers advance major data center projects across the South, such as Crow Holdings’ proposed 245-MW campus along Dallas’ Stemmons Corridor, highlighting sustained demand for power-intensive AI infrastructure.

Project Factsheet: Delta Forge 1

Overview

Project Name: Delta Forge 1

Developer: Applied Digital

Project Type: AI Factory Campus

Status: Groundbreaking Commenced

Location: Strategic southern U.S. market

Power Capacity

Total Utility Power: 430 MW (initial design)

Critical IT Load: Up to 300 MW

Scalability: Significant expansion capability planned for 2028 and beyond

Campus Configuration

Initial Phase: Two 150-MW facilities

Site Area: 500+ acres

Design Focus: High-density AI workload support with advanced power integration and cooling systems

Employment & Economic Impact

Full-Time Employees: 200+ (once fully operational)

Additional Workforce: Long-term contractors

Economic Benefit: Durable job creation and sustained regional investment

Timeline

Groundbreaking: Completed

Initial Operations: Expected mid-2027

Customer Base

Target market: Investment-grade hyperscale customers

Active discussions with prospective hyperscale customer

Purpose-built for large-scale AI workloads

Technology Platform

Utilizes Applied Digital’s proprietary AI Factory blueprint

Design refined through Polaris Forge campus experience (North Dakota)

Repeatable, scalable platform for multi-campus deployment

Engineered for power-to-AI capacity conversion efficiency

Key Differentiators

Purpose-built infrastructure from ground up

Integrated approach to power, cooling, and operations

Designed for operational certainty and reliability

Scalable architecture aligned with hyperscale demand growth

Repeatable execution model across campus portfolio