How Edged US is Expanding AI Capacity with Waterless Cooling

Edged US has broken ground on its second data centre in Aurora, Illinois, marking a significant expansion of its AI-ready campus in one of the region’s fastest growing digital hubs. 

The new site will be built for high-density compute with advanced liquid-to-chip cooling, reflecting the growing demand for sustainable infrastructure that can support AI at scale.

The company’s focus on efficiency and resource reduction places this facility firmly within the data centre sector’s wider shift toward waterless thermal management. 

With operators facing rising scrutiny over power and water consumption, Edged’s closed-loop cooling system is expected to save more than 277 million gallons of water each year compared to conventional evaporative approaches.

Safety, efficiency and Aurora’s digital economy

The groundbreaking ceremony brought together Edged construction leaders and representatives from FCL Builders, the firm’s long-term construction partner. 

Speaking at the event, Bryant Farland, President & CEO of Edged US, emphasised the organisation’s operational priorities.

“Safety and performance are at the core of everything we do,” he said. “From design through construction and operations, we hold ourselves and our partners to the highest standards of safety excellence. This new facility demonstrates our commitment to building ultra-efficient, resilient, and secure data centres that protect both people and the planet. 

“We are proud to continue our partnership with the City of Aurora as we deliver world-class infrastructure that advances innovation, supports the local economy and preserves critical natural resources.”

Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois, has become a focal point for data centre development due to its reliable infrastructure, connectivity corridors and fast-growing tech ecosystem. 

Edged’s new facility expands the local capability for advanced AI and high-performance workloads, supporting enterprises and cloud providers looking for lower-latency compute within the greater Chicago region.

Waterless cooling and high-density AI design

Edged’s platform is built around closed-loop, waterless cooling, which eliminates dependence on freshwater resources while enabling far higher rack densities than typical air-cooled systems.

The ThermalWorks system deployed across the campus uses liquid-to-chip cooling that can support densities of 200kW per rack. This aligns with current trends in AI infrastructure design, where large training clusters and inference workloads increasingly require thermal solutions that move beyond air-based approaches.

The company reports that the Edged Chicago campus will consume zero water for cooling, supported by a design philosophy that prioritises energy efficiency and sustainability across mechanical, electrical and IT systems. Portfolio-wide, Edged facilities target an average design PUE of 1.15, placing them among the more efficient data centres in operation.

For operators looking to reduce operational overheads, high-density cooling has become a strategic capability rather than a niche option. Facilities designed from the outset for liquid cooling can accommodate faster deployment of AI hardware, more consistent outlet temperatures and greater predictability in long-term energy planning. 

Edged’s approach demonstrates how waterless technology is increasingly becoming a competitive differentiator in the US market and beyond.

Expanding an AI-ready platform

The first data centre on the Aurora campus opened in February 2025, delivering capacity for cloud customers and enterprises requiring high-performance compute. The second facility is scheduled to come online in Q2 2027 and will sit within a national footprint that includes Atlanta, Columbus, Council Bluffs, Dallas, Des Moines, Kansas City and Phoenix.

This expansion forms part of a gigawatt-scale roadmap across North America, positioning Edged as a growing player in sustainable AI infrastructure. Its projects are being deployed in markets where power availability, fibre routes and land use are aligned with long-term demand for GPU-driven workloads.

Sustainability as a design requirement

Across the industry, data centres are facing increasing pressure to reduce water consumption, minimise refrigerant leakage and align cooling strategies with regional climate conditions. Water scarcity and regulatory scrutiny are pushing operators toward solutions that remove cooling towers or evaporative systems entirely, especially in drought-prone states.

Edged’s waterless strategy reflects this shift. By eliminating cooling water use, the company aligns facility design with sustainability targets without compromising compute density or power efficiency. This type of model is likely to become more common as hyperscale and colocation providers adopt similar approaches for AI-heavy builds.