The first data center under the Data Center Valley project, which Kazakhstan is developing jointly with NVIDIA and Firebird AI, is scheduled to be commissioned in June 2027, Kazakhtelecom CEO Bagdat Mussin said at a meeting chaired by Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.
According to Mussin, construction of the first 50-megawatt facility is already underway. Excavation work for the energy centers and AI factories is now 90% complete. Work has begun on the foundations for the energy centers, while construction of office and amenity buildings is ongoing.
By the end of December 2026, contractors are expected to complete the main structures of the data center and power facilities, the office and amenity complex, checkpoints and part of the external utility infrastructure. Commissioning work is scheduled to be completed by May 2027.
«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,» Mussin said.
A 215-megawatt substation has already been acquired to supply the project with electricity. A water supply network design has also been developed, while the telecommunications infrastructure is still being designed. The construction site is equipped with a 24/7 online video surveillance system. In the future, the capacity of Data Center Valley is planned to be gradually increased to 1 gigawatt.
The project includes the development of a platform to host data centers, AI factories, GPU clusters and cloud platforms operated by international technology companies. The government believes the initiative will create a new digital economy export sector in Kazakhstan and provide the infrastructure needed to develop domestic AI solutions.
«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,» Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev said.
Kazakhstan is also developing cooperation with Firebird AI and NVIDIA through the Data Center Valley project. In April 2026, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Nicolo Caprez, NVIDIA’s vice president for global AI infrastructure development, and Firebird AI co-founders Razmig Hovaghimian and Alexander Yesayan. The parties discussed prospects for cooperation on the design, construction and operation of AI infrastructure.
During the meeting, the president briefed the participants on plans to develop Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz as a platform offering affordable electricity, telecommunications infrastructure and tax incentives for investors. The parties also agreed to explore ways to jointly develop the AI ecosystem.
In addition, at the meeting chaired by the prime minister, the parties discussed preparations for the Cloud First Policy (Data Embassy) project, which would allow foreign countries to store their data in Kazakhstan while retaining full legal sovereignty over it.
Following the meeting, Bektenov instructed government agencies and quasi-public companies to complete the construction work on schedule and continue efforts to attract foreign technology partners.
