Kazakhstan Plans Data Center Valley in Pavlodar with Focus on Coal Power Investment
Kazakhstan aims to establish a 'data center valley' in Pavlodar, requiring substantial power investments from the Ekibastuz coal basin, as stated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. He emphasized the need for new power sources to support the energy-intensive data centers, which consume energy similar to metallurgical plants.
Kazakhstan's coal reserves, estimated at 33 billion tons, could sustain production for 300 years. Tokayev proposed elevating coal power generation to a National Project status, with a deadline for development by March 20.
The country is not currently a data center hotspot but is attracting investment, including a new cloud region from Yandex in 2024 and a data center project by Veon. In 2026, 12.9MW of data center capacity is expected across three facilities, alongside enhancements in high-speed Internet access for 1,900 villages. The government is prioritizing digitalization and artificial intelligence to improve public administration.
