Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting on the progress of the “Data Center Valley” project in Pavlodar Region as part of the implementation of the instructions of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the development of the digital economy and related infrastructure. Reports on the work being carried out were presented by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev and Chairman of the Board of JSC “Kazakhtelecom” Bagdat Mussin.

Construction of the first facility of the “Data Center Valley” with a capacity of 50 MW is in an active phase. Excavation works for the energy centers and AI factories are 90% complete, foundation work for the energy centers has begun, and construction of administrative and amenity premises is underway.

By the end of December 2026, the main buildings of the data center and energy units, the administrative and amenity complex, checkpoints, and part of the external utility networks will be erected. Commissioning works are scheduled to be completed in May 2027. The first facility is planned to be put into operation in June 2027.

In parallel, the engineering infrastructure of the site is being developed. A 215 MW substation has been acquired for the project’s power supply, a water supply network project has been developed, and the design of the telecommunications infrastructure is underway. An online video surveillance system is operating at the construction site, enabling round-the-clock monitoring of the progress of works. The long-term energy potential of Data Center Valley provides for phased scaling with a total capacity of up to 1 GW.

This project is a scalable platform for the placement of data centers, AI factories, GPU clusters, and cloud platforms of international hyperscalers. Its implementation will create a new export-oriented sector of the digital economy in Kazakhstan and provide IT infrastructure for the development of domestic solutions in the field of artificial intelligence.

“Data Center Valley is forming a new export potential for Kazakhstan. By placing computing capacities within the country, we are creating conditions for the development of domestic AI solutions, attracting global companies, and enabling Kazakhstan’s entry into the international market of digital services,” noted Zhaslan Madiyev noted.

Together with international technology partners Firebird AI and NVIDIA, a modern ecosystem for the development of artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, and next-generation digital services is being created on the basis of Data Center Valley. At the same time, cooperation with a number of foreign companies on the creation of additional IT capacities is being worked out. Negotiations also cover the attraction of new investors and anchor clients, the placement of high-performance computing clusters, and the development of cloud services.

“Our top priority is to complete the construction of the first facility in June 2027. At the same time, we are creating an engineering foundation that will allow us to consistently increase the campus capacities in line with confirmed demand from clients,” Bagdat Mussin emphasized.

In addition, the meeting considered the preparation of the Cloud First Policy (Data Embassy) project, which provides for the possibility of placing data of foreign states in Kazakhstan while preserving their full legal sovereignty.

Olzhas Bektenov noted the significance of the “Data Center Valley” project in the context of the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence announced by the President. The implementation of Data Center Valley will strengthen Kazakhstan’s technological sovereignty, create the infrastructural foundation for the development of artificial intelligence, and enhance the country’s role in the global market of computing capacities.

“With the adoption of the New Constitution, opportunities are expanding for the further modernization of Kazakhstan’s economy and the enhancement of global competitiveness. ‘Data Center Valley’ is not just a major infrastructure project — it is the foundation for the further technological development of our country. Its implementation is under the constant control of the Head of State. Thanks to the creation of a powerful AI and cloud services base, new opportunities will be provided for business, and Kazakhstan will strengthen its role as a regional AI hub of Central Asia. It is necessary to ensure the timely implementation of the project; all the conditions for this have been created,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

Following the meeting, the Head of Government issued a number of instructions to the responsible government agencies and quasi-public sector entities, including those related to ensuring the timely completion of construction works and expanding interaction with foreign technology companies to attract new partners.

#Olzhas Bektenov #Digitalization #Infrastructural development #President's instruction #Regions

• 
• 
• 
•