In brief
The Kazakh government launched a Data Center Valley initiative slated to yield about $3.1 billion annually in export revenue, with a 20‑year investment of $115 billion. The first phase features three centers totaling 304 MW, while future phases aim for 1 GW by 2029 and a 100,000‑GPU cluster. The project reflects Kazakhstan’s push to strengthen its technology sector and export profile.
On Friday, the Kazakh prime minister's press service announced that the country’s planned Data Center Valley would generate roughly US$3.1 billion in annual export revenue, according to a statement reported by Xinhua.
The 20‑year project will receive an investment of US$115 billion, with the first phase comprising three data centers that together will deliver 304 MW of computing capacity. The facilities – slated to open in the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2027 – will have individual capacities of 68 MW, 164 MW and 72 MW.
In the second phase, preliminary agreements have been signed with a number of firms to deploy 480 MW of computing capacity, with a possible expansion to 620 MW. Negotiations are also underway to add another 240 MW of capacity, potentially raising it to 420 MW. These figures, which were described by the statement, signal Kazakhstan’s ambition to upscale its data‑center footprint rapidly.
The full project is projected to achieve a total capacity of 1 GW by 2029, giving the country one of the largest computing clusters on the Eurasian continent. The phased rollout is tied to a broader strategy to diversify the economy and boost export earnings through high‑value technology services.
A separate government announcement highlighted a planned US$10 billion investment for a large‑scale computing cluster equipped with 100,000 graphics processing units. The GPUs would underpin AI, cloud and high‑performance computing services aimed at regional and international markets.
According to the Xinhua report, the export revenue projections are based on estimates from the international consulting firm KPMG. While the government has not disclosed the identities of the companies involved, the statement indicated that negotiations are ongoing with potential partners for the remaining phases of the project.
Commentators have noted that the Data Center Valley could help Kazakhstan reduce its dependence on oil and gas exports by fostering a network of high‑tech jobs and services. The large-scale investment also dovetails with the country’s long‑term vision of becoming a technological hub for Central Asia.
However, several open questions remain. The specifics of financing – whether the $115 billion will be sourced through sovereign funds, public‑private partnerships or foreign investment – have not yet been disclosed. In addition, environmental assessments for the data‑center sites, which will require significant power and cooling, have yet to be published.
There is also uncertainty about the timing of the GPU cluster’s launch and whether the planned 100,000 GPUs will be fully deployed in the first round of construction, a detail that the government has not confirmed.
Below is the direct statement from the Kazakh prime minister’s press service that communicated the project’s expectations for export revenue:
"Kazakhstan's Data Center Valley project is expected to generate about 3.1 billion U.S. dollars in annual export revenue," the press service said.
While Q&A teams with industry experts remain to clarify these points, the Data Center Valley represents a clear step toward positioning Kazakhstan as a regional technology center. If successful, the initiative could set a benchmark for other emerging economies seeking to diversify through digital infrastructure investment.
