Russia Considers AI Data Centers in Belarus and Kazakhstan Amid Power Constraints

Russia considers AI data centers in Belarus and Kazakhstan amid power constraints

Russia is considering deploying artificial intelligence data centers in Belarus and Kazakhstan, partly because of limited energy capacity inside the country.

Consultations are reportedly taking place within Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media. Russian news organization RBC cited sources in the country’s IT industry. Several locations are under consideration, but no decisions have been made.

Capacity constraints in Russia

Data center capacity in several important Russian regions has tightened in recent years. Moscow was reported to have 22.6GW of capacity, with an energy reserve of approximately 12 percent.

New data centers in Moscow reportedly cannot be connected to the power grid because of capacity shortages. Authorities have discussed increasing the region’s strategic energy reserve from 12 percent to 15 percent.

The region has also experienced multiple power outages this year. Demand has grown faster than expected, while some observers have speculated that indirect effects related to the war in Ukraine may have contributed to the strain on the power system.

Data center construction slows

Earlier this year, Russia announced plans to develop two new data centers in St. Petersburg.

However, data center development across Russia has slowed overall. Nearly one-third of announced projects have stalled, largely because of high capital costs, rising construction and utility expenses, and difficulties connecting facilities to power grids.

The proposed facilities in Belarus and Kazakhstan would give Russia potential alternatives as domestic energy and grid constraints continue to affect AI infrastructure planning.