Kazakhstan Pursues $10 Billion AI Data Center in Ekibastuz

September 15, 2026 at 10:28 AM2 min

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Kazakhstan is developing the Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz, a computing project with a planned capacity of up to one gigawatt. The project is backed by a $10 billion investment from Firebird and Nvidia and is expected to generate at least $3 billion in annual export revenue. Construction of the first 50-megawatt facility is underway, with commissioning planned for May 2027.

Key Facts

The Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz is designed to expand in stages into a computing center with a total capacity of up to one gigawatt.
The project is backed by a $10 billion investment from Firebird and Nvidia.
The planned cluster is expected to include 100,000 advanced GPUs, including Nvidia's GB300 and Vera Rubin systems.
Project estimates indicate the cluster could generate at least $3 billion in annual export revenue.
The first 50-megawatt facility is due to be completed by the end of December, with commissioning in May 2027 and operations starting in June.

Project Scope and Investment

The Data Center Valley is located in Ekibastuz, an industrial city in the Pavlodar Region known for coal mining and electricity generation. The project is designed to expand in stages into a computing center with a total capacity of up to one gigawatt. KT-Telecom, a subsidiary of Kazakhtelecom, will operate the project. The initiative has been backed by a $10 billion investment from Firebird, a U.S.-based AI cloud and infrastructure company, and Nvidia. The investment is expected to support a large-scale computing cluster equipped with 100,000 advanced GPUs, including Nvidia's GB300 and Vera Rubin systems.

Construction Timeline

Construction is underway on the project's first 50-megawatt facility. Excavation for the energy center and AI factory is nearly complete, while foundation work and construction of administrative facilities continue. The main data-center buildings and power units are due to be completed by the end of December. Commissioning is scheduled for May 2027, with operations starting in June.

Strategic Digital Ambitions

The project is part of a broader effort to move Kazakhstan beyond being primarily a consumer of foreign digital services. Alongside other data-center projects and the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable, which links Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and recently completed a key stage, it reflects Astana's attempt to turn the country's energy base and position between major markets into greater strategic autonomy. The Trans-Caspian cable project began in 2025. Annual global investment in data-center infrastructure is projected to increase from about $800 billion in 2026 to $1 trillion.