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BASX Powers Advanced Cooling Innovation for Applied Digital's Purpose-Built AI Data Center Campus

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BASX, a subsidiary of AAON (NASDAQ: AAON), has announced a partnership with Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD) to provide custom cooling solutions for Applied Digital's AI data center campus in Ellendale, North Dakota. The collaboration centers on a specialized free cooling chiller system designed for the Polaris Forge 1 facility.

The innovative cooling system operates in three modes with zero water consumption: full free cooling, partial free cooling, and full mechanical cooling. This system is specifically engineered to handle the high power density requirements of AI infrastructure, which demands 15 to 30 times more power density than traditional data centers.

The solution leverages North Dakota's cold climate conditions and is optimized for liquid-cooled NVIDIA GPUs, demonstrating a scalable approach to thermal management that prioritizes efficiency and sustainability.

BASX, una controllata di AAON (NASDAQ: AAON), ha annunciato una collaborazione con Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD) per fornire soluzioni di raffreddamento personalizzate per il campus di data center AI di Applied Digital a Ellendale, North Dakota. La collaborazione si concentra su un sistema di refrigerazione a raffreddamento libero specializzato progettato per la struttura Polaris Forge 1.

Il sistema di raffreddamento innovativo funziona in tre modalità senza consumo d'acqua: raffreddamento libero completo, raffreddamento libero parziale e raffreddamento meccanico completo. Questo sistema è progettato specificamente per gestire le elevate esigenze di densità energetica dell'infrastruttura AI, che richiede da 15 a 30 volte più densità energetica rispetto ai data center tradizionali.

La soluzione sfrutta le condizioni climatiche fredde del North Dakota ed è ottimizzata per GPU NVIDIA raffreddate a liquido, dimostrando un approccio scalabile alla gestione termica che dà priorità all'efficienza e alla sostenibilità.

BASX, una subsidiaria de AAON (NASDAQ: AAON), ha anunciado una asociación con Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD) para ofrecer soluciones de refrigeración personalizadas para el campus de centros de datos de IA de Applied Digital en Ellendale, Dakota del Norte. La colaboración se centra en un sistema especializado de enfriamiento libre con enfriador diseñado para la instalación Polaris Forge 1.

El innovador sistema de enfriamiento opera en tres modos sin consumo de agua: enfriamiento libre total, enfriamiento libre parcial y enfriamiento mecánico total. Este sistema está diseñado específicamente para manejar los altos requerimientos de densidad energética de la infraestructura de IA, que exige de 15 a 30 veces más densidad energética que los centros de datos tradicionales.

La solución aprovecha las condiciones climáticas frías de Dakota del Norte y está optimizada para GPUs NVIDIA refrigeradas por líquido, demostrando un enfoque escalable para la gestión térmica que prioriza la eficiencia y la sostenibilidad.

BASXAAON (NASDAQ: AAON)의 자회사로, Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD)와 협력하여 노스다코타 엘렌데일에 위치한 Applied Digital의 AI 데이터 센터 캠퍼스를 위한 맞춤형 냉각 솔루션을 제공한다고 발표했습니다. 이번 협력은 Polaris Forge 1 시설을 위해 설계된 특수한 프리 쿨링 칠러 시스템에 중점을 두고 있습니다.

혁신적인 냉각 시스템은 물 소비 없이 세 가지 모드로 작동합니다: 완전 프리 쿨링, 부분 프리 쿨링, 완전 기계식 냉각. 이 시스템은 AI 인프라가 전통적인 데이터 센터보다 15배에서 30배 더 높은 전력 밀도를 요구하는 높은 전력 밀도 요구 사항을 처리하도록 특별히 설계되었습니다.

이 솔루션은 노스다코타의 차가운 기후 조건을 활용하며, 액체 냉각 NVIDIA GPU에 최적화되어 효율성과 지속 가능성을 우선시하는 확장 가능한 열 관리 방식을 보여줍니다.

BASX, une filiale de AAON (NASDAQ: AAON), a annoncé un partenariat avec Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD) pour fournir des solutions de refroidissement personnalisées pour le campus de centres de données IA d'Applied Digital à Ellendale, Dakota du Nord. La collaboration porte sur un système spécialisé de refroidissement par eau libre conçu pour l'installation Polaris Forge 1.

Le système de refroidissement innovant fonctionne en trois modes sans consommation d'eau : refroidissement libre complet, refroidissement libre partiel et refroidissement mécanique complet. Ce système est spécifiquement conçu pour gérer les exigences élevées en densité de puissance des infrastructures IA, qui nécessitent 15 à 30 fois plus de densité de puissance que les centres de données traditionnels.

La solution tire parti des conditions climatiques froides du Dakota du Nord et est optimisée pour les GPU NVIDIA refroidis par liquide, démontrant une approche évolutive de la gestion thermique qui privilégie l'efficacité et la durabilité.

BASX, eine Tochtergesellschaft von AAON (NASDAQ: AAON), hat eine Partnerschaft mit Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD) angekündigt, um maßgeschneiderte Kühlungslösungen für den AI-Datencampus von Applied Digital in Ellendale, North Dakota, bereitzustellen. Die Zusammenarbeit konzentriert sich auf ein spezialisiertes Free-Cooling-Kühlsystem für die Einrichtung Polaris Forge 1.

Das innovative Kühlsystem arbeitet in drei Modi ohne Wasserverbrauch: vollständiges Free Cooling, teilweises Free Cooling und vollständige mechanische Kühlung. Dieses System wurde speziell entwickelt, um die hohen Leistungsdichteanforderungen der AI-Infrastruktur zu bewältigen, die 15 bis 30 Mal höhere Leistungsdichte als herkömmliche Rechenzentren benötigt.

Die Lösung nutzt die kalten Klimabedingungen in North Dakota und ist für flüssigkeitsgekühlte NVIDIA-GPUs optimiert, was einen skalierbaren Ansatz im Wärmemanagement demonstriert, der Effizienz und Nachhaltigkeit priorisiert.

Positive
  • Custom cooling system operates with zero water consumption
  • System designed to handle 15-30x higher power density than traditional data centers
  • Flexible three-mode operation maximizes energy efficiency
  • Solution specifically optimized for liquid-cooled NVIDIA GPUs
Negative
  • None.

Insights

AAON's BASX subsidiary delivers zero-water cooling technology for AI data centers, positioning it strategically in the high-growth AI infrastructure market.

BASX, AAON's wholly owned subsidiary, has engineered a significant technological advancement in data center cooling with their partnership with Applied Digital. The custom free cooling chiller system deployed at Applied Digital's North Dakota AI facility addresses the extreme cooling demands of AI infrastructure while achieving two critical efficiency metrics: zero water consumption and optimized energy usage through multiple operating modes.

What makes this development particularly notable is how it positions AAON at the intersection of two crucial market trends. First, AI data centers require 15-30 times the power density of traditional facilities, creating massive thermal management challenges that conventional solutions can't efficiently address. Second, data center sustainability – particularly water usage – has become a critical industry constraint.

The system's three-mode operation (full free cooling, partial free cooling, and full mechanical cooling) represents a sophisticated approach to resource optimization. In cold climates like North Dakota, the system can reject 100% of IT heat load using only pumps and fans during much of the year, dramatically reducing energy consumption compared to traditional cooling methods.

This partnership demonstrates AAON's strategic advancement in the rapidly expanding AI infrastructure market. As compute-intensive workloads continue growing exponentially, AAON is establishing itself as a specialized provider addressing the unique cooling requirements of next-generation data centers. The ability to deliver customized solutions for the most demanding AI deployments significantly expands AAON's addressable market beyond traditional HVAC applications into high-value, high-growth infrastructure supporting the AI revolution.

At Applied Digital's Ellendale, North Dakota campus, BASX is deploying bespoke free cooling chillers — optimized for cold-climate operation, reducing power demand, and requiring zero water consumption

REDMOND, Ore., June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BASX, a leader in advanced cooling and custom solutions for data centers and mission-critical environments, and a wholly owned subsidiary of AAON, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAON), a leading provider of high-performance, energy-efficient HVAC solutions, today announced a partnership with Applied Digital Corporation (Nasdaq: APLD) ("Applied Digital"). Applied Digital, a designer, builder, and operator of next-generation digital infrastructure designed for High-Performance Computing (HPC) applications.

As part of the collaboration, BASX designed and manufactured a customized free cooling chiller system for Applied Digital's AI factory in Ellendale, North Dakota, known as Polaris Forge 1. The system is purpose-built to meet the performance demands of AI infrastructure in a cold climate, while maximizing energy efficiency and sustainability.

Built to endure the harshest climates, the free cooling chiller system performs in three optimized modes –– all with zero water use.

  • Full Free Cooling: Rejects 100% of the IT load using only pumps and fans.
  • Partial Free Cooling: Leverages ambient air to handle as much of the load as possible, supplementing with direct expansion (DX) cooling as needed.
  • Full Mechanical Cooling: Engages compressors and coils to provide full DX capacity during peak ambient conditions.

"As a leading provider of AI factories, designed and built specifically to support NVIDIA liquid-cooled GPUs, innovation is a core component of our business. We presented a challenge to BASX to develop a highly efficient chiller to leverage North Dakota's climate conditions and the demands presented by liquid-cooled servers and, as they are known to do, BASX engineered, designed, and built a world-class system that we are deploying at our Polaris Forge 1 site." said Todd Gale, Chief Development Officer at Applied Digital.

"From the onset, this was about more than delivering standard HVAC — it was a collaboration between two teams determined to break away from cookie-cutter solutions," said Matt Tobolski, PhD – AAON CEO & BASX Co-Founder. "Applied Digital brought us a clear challenge, and we responded with a system engineered from the ground up to meet it. We solve problems at the root and build for what's next, not just what's easy."

AI factories like Polaris Forge 1 require 15 to 30 times the power density of traditional data centers, making conventional power and cooling strategies insufficient, according to a May 28, 2024, press release from Applied Digital. Meeting these demands requires infrastructure engineered from the ground up to support high-density, compute-intensive workloads.

As AI adoption accelerates, demand for high-efficiency cooling solutions continues to grow. Higher return fluid temperatures enabled by direct-to-chip cooling allow more heat to be rejected directly to ambient air, even in warmer conditions. This system demonstrates a scalable approach to thermal management — designed for operators who prioritize innovation, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.

ABOUT BASX
BASX, a wholly owned subsidiary of AAON, is a leader in manufacturing high-efficiency data center cooling, cleanroom systems, custom HVAC, and modular solutions. For the past 40 years, the BASX team has been recognized as leaders in the development of industry-changing innovations such as changes in the way fans are applied in modern air handling systems. With in-house manufacturing and a dedicated engineering team providing end-to-end support, BASX delivers fully custom solutions tailored to each client's unique needs. Headquartered in Redmond, Oregon, with additional facilities in Tulsa, Longview, and Memphis, BASX remains committed to quality, reliability, and exceptional customer service worldwide.

ABOUT AAON
Founded in 1988, AAON is a world leader in HVAC solutions for commercial and industrial indoor environments. The Company's industry-leading approach to designing and manufacturing highly configurable equipment to meet exact needs creates a premier ownership experience with greater efficiency, performance and long-term value. AAON is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where its world-class innovation center and testing lab allows AAON engineers to continuously push boundaries and advance the industry. For more information, please visit www.aaon.com.

ABOUT APPLIED DIGITAL
Applied Digital (Nasdaq: APLD) develops, builds and operates next-generation data centers and cloud infrastructure. Different by design, the company's purpose-built facilities are engineered to unleash the power of accelerated compute and deliver secure, scalable and sustainable digital hosting, along with turnkey CSaaS and GPU-as-a-Service solutions. Backed by deep hyperscale expertise and a robust pipeline of available power, Applied Digital accommodates AI Factories and beyond to support the world's most exacting AI/ML, blockchain and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads.

Applied Digital Contact Information:
JSA
jsa_applied@jsa.net

BASX Contact Information:
Christina Lattanzio
Christina.lattanzio@aaon.com
(918) 382 - 6597 

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SOURCE AAON

FAQ

What cooling solution has AAON developed for Applied Digital's AI data center?

BASX, AAON's subsidiary, developed a custom free cooling chiller system with three operating modes that requires zero water consumption, specifically designed for Applied Digital's Polaris Forge 1 facility in North Dakota.

How does AAON's cooling system handle AI infrastructure power demands?

The system is engineered to manage 15-30 times higher power density than traditional data centers, using three modes: full free cooling, partial free cooling, and full mechanical cooling.

What are the key features of BASX's cooling system for Applied Digital?

The system features zero water consumption, three optimized cooling modes, compatibility with liquid-cooled NVIDIA GPUs, and is specifically designed for cold climate operation in North Dakota.

How does AAON's cooling solution contribute to sustainability?

The system operates with zero water consumption and maximizes energy efficiency through free cooling capabilities that leverage ambient air conditions, supporting long-term sustainability goals.
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