Edged tops out Ankeny data centre with waterless cooling
Edged has celebrated the topping out of its latest data centre in Ankeny, Iowa, which is designed to provide 13 MW of critical capacity for high-density AI workloads and features closed-loop waterless cooling.
The facility is located at 9100 SE Four Mile Drive in Ankeny, just north of Des Moines, an area experiencing significant growth as a technology hub. The completion of the structural framework, or "topping out," marks a significant milestone in the construction process for the data centre, which will support high-density Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing operations.
Facility features
The new data centre incorporates advanced energy systems aimed at reducing resource consumption, including a closed-loop waterless cooling system. According to Edged, this design will make Edged Des Moines one of the most water-efficient data centres in Iowa.
The company expects that the new facility will save more than 52 million gallons of water annually in comparison to conventional data centres, thanks to its implementation of the ThermalWorks waterless cooling technology. The modular cooling system supports up to 70 kW per rack using air cooling and up to 200 kW per rack with liquid cooling integration.
Project milestone
Edged marked the structural completion at a beam signing ceremony, which included its operations and construction leaders, key project partners, and representatives from design-build firm Burns & McDonnell. The company emphasised that the milestone highlighted the collaboration and safety culture maintained throughout the structural phase of the project.
"Today marks a major milestone in bringing advanced, sustainable infrastructure to Ankeny. This facility will deliver the secure, high-performance environment our customers need to power the next generation of heavy compute. I also want to thank the crew for their dedication to safety, completing the structural phase on time and injury-free reflects the excellence we strive for on every build," said Mitch Fonseca, Chief Operating Officer of Edged.
Network expansion
The Edged Des Moines data centre is expected to become fully operational by the end of 2026. Once online, it will join several other Edged facilities either currently operational or under construction across the United States, including in Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, Chicago, Columbus and Phoenix.
The wider Edged portfolio focuses on building and operating facilities equipped for high-performance compute workloads and AI inference at the edge. According to the company, its data centres employ waterless cooling technology and maintain an average design Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15 across its operations, contributing to energy and water savings at scale.
Industry context
The Ankeny facility has been developed with the aim of meeting increasing demand from hyperscalers, cloud providers, and large enterprises. With support for densities up to 200 kW per rack, the modular system is engineered for customers requiring infrastructure suitable for intensive AI computing and cloud operations.
Edged indicated Des Moines was chosen due to its emergence as a tech hub, as well as the requirements of organisations looking for scalable and sustainable data centre options in central United States.
The company continues to expand its footprint with a gigawatt-scale platform in North America. Its approach includes a focus on sustainability, resource efficiency and infrastructure adaptability as requirements for AI and cloud operations evolve.
