Russia weighs AI data center sites in Belarus and Kazakhstan amid power constraints

Russia is considering AI data center sites in Belarus and Kazakhstan, in part because of energy-capacity shortages at home, Data Center Dynamics reported on Oct. 15, citing the Russian news organization RBC. Consultations are under way within Russia's Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, and RBC attributed them to sources in the country's IT industry. Multiple locations are under consideration; no decisions have been made.

Data Center Dynamics cites capacity in Moscow reported at 22.6GW with a reserve of around 12%, and Moscow authorities have discussed raising the region's strategic reserve to 15%. The Moscow Times has previously reported that new data centers in Moscow cannot be connected to the power grid because of capacity shortages, the article says. Power outages have hit the region this year as demand grew faster than expected, and the coverage notes speculation that knock-on effects from the war in Ukraine have contributed.

Nearly a third of announced data center projects in Russia have stalled, which Data Center Dynamics attributes largely to the high cost of capital, rising construction and utility costs, and difficulty connecting to power grids. Earlier this year, Russia announced the development of two new data centers in St. Petersburg.

The reported motive, energy-capacity shortages, still puts power procurement at the center of the siting question—constraints pushing development toward jurisdictions with less friction. The reporting leaves open which jurisdiction supplies the power and on what terms.