Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a new player in the global race to build artificial intelligence infrastructure, with a 125-megawatt data center project planned in Ekibastuz and backing from international technology partners, DKNews.kz reports.
Firebird, an AI infrastructure company, is developing the Data Center Valley project in Kazakhstan together with Kazakhtelecom, the country’s largest telecommunications operator.
The Kazakhstan project was highlighted during the launch of the first phase of Firebird’s AI campus in Razdan, Armenia, where NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang named both Armenia and Kazakhstan as part of a broader effort to expand AI computing capacity internationally.
Kazakhstan was represented at the event by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev.
Kazakhstan Becomes Firebird’s Next AI Market
Firebird’s Armenian facility has become the largest operating AI factory in the region built on NVIDIA DSX architecture.
The company plans to expand the site to more than 70,000 NVIDIA Rubin and Blackwell GPUs by the end of 2027, with total planned capacity reaching 300 MW.
Kazakhstan is Firebird’s next major market.
In Ekibastuz, Firebird and Kazakhtelecom are developing a 125 MW AI data center campus, potentially giving Kazakhstan one of the largest concentrations of high-performance computing infrastructure in Central Asia.
The project has secured the required approvals from the Government of Kazakhstan as well as an export authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security for the relevant technologies.
That approval is particularly significant as access to advanced AI chips and computing systems has become increasingly shaped by U.S. export controls.
Jensen Huang Puts Kazakhstan on the AI Infrastructure Map
The opening ceremony in Armenia brought together Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, government officials, technology executives, investors and industry representatives.
Huang addressed the event by video and specifically pointed to Kazakhstan as part of Firebird and NVIDIA’s expanding AI infrastructure footprint.
“Together with Firebird, we are building AI infrastructure in Armenia and Kazakhstan that will provide researchers, startups and industries with the computing foundation needed to develop artificial intelligence domestically, attract international innovators and participate in the global AI economy.”
NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebaredian also attended the launch.
The comments place Kazakhstan within a broader shift taking place across the technology industry.
As demand for generative AI grows, access to computing power is increasingly becoming a strategic resource. Governments and companies are competing not only for advanced semiconductors, but also for the electricity, land, cooling systems and connectivity required to operate them at scale.
Why Ekibastuz Matters
That is where Kazakhstan sees an opportunity.
Training and operating advanced AI models requires vast amounts of electricity, making access to reliable energy one of the most important factors in determining where large computing clusters can be built.
Ekibastuz, historically one of Kazakhstan’s major power-generation centers, offers the kind of energy infrastructure required for industrial-scale data centers.
Madiyev said the development is part of Kazakhstan’s wider effort to establish domestic AI capabilities rather than simply host foreign infrastructure.
“On the instructions of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, we are systematically developing our own AI infrastructure. Kazakhstan has the necessary energy resources, land and a developed digital ecosystem to host large-scale computing capacity. Our objective is not only to attract global technology partners, but also to create a fully fledged domestic environment for the development of artificial intelligence, research, startups and new digital services.”
The strategy reflects a broader ambition: to turn Kazakhstan’s traditional advantages in energy and geography into assets for the digital economy.
From Energy Producer to Computing Hub
Kazakhtelecom will serve as the operator of the project.
Its Chairman, Bagdat Mussin, said the Ekibastuz development could strengthen Kazakhstan’s position as a regional computing hub.
“Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz is proof that Kazakhstan is capable of building world-class AI infrastructure. Projects like this strengthen the country’s position as a regional computing hub and give Kazakhstan’s economy direct access to the global AI industry.”
For Kazakhstan, the economic proposition goes beyond building another data center.
High-performance computing is becoming infrastructure in much the same way telecommunications networks and power grids were infrastructure for earlier stages of economic development.
Countries able to provide large volumes of reliable computing power may be able to attract cloud providers, AI developers, research institutions and technology companies that would otherwise concentrate their operations in established markets.
Kazakhstan Is Also Building a Digital Route to Europe
Power alone, however, will not be enough.
Large AI data centers need high-capacity international connections capable of moving huge volumes of data between computing clusters and customers.
Kazakhstan is therefore investing in telecommunications infrastructure alongside data center capacity.
One of the most important projects is the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable, which is designed to create a new high-speed data route across the Caspian Sea and toward European markets.
The combination of computing capacity and international connectivity could strengthen Kazakhstan’s role as a digital transit corridor between Europe and Asia.
The country is also adapting its regulatory framework to make it easier for international companies to store and process data within Kazakhstan.
Firebird Targets 2 GW of Global AI Capacity
Firebird’s plans extend well beyond Armenia and Kazakhstan.
The company aims to expand its total AI infrastructure portfolio to 2 GW across several markets by the end of 2028.
It has also announced NVIDIA’s intention to invest in the company, while U.S. cloud computing provider CoreWeave had previously joined as an investor.
The funding is expected to support the accelerated construction of AI infrastructure across international markets.
The scale of Firebird’s plans reflects the extraordinary capital requirements of the AI boom.
Building the next generation of computing infrastructure increasingly involves not only chipmakers and cloud companies, but energy producers, telecom operators, governments and infrastructure investors.
What Kazakhstan Stands to Gain
For Kazakhstan, Data Center Valley represents an early test of whether the country can convert its energy resources and geographic position into a competitive advantage in the AI economy.
The immediate benefits are relatively straightforward: investment in infrastructure, demand for electricity, construction activity and new data center capacity.
The larger opportunity is more ambitious.
If research centers, AI startups, cloud platforms and international technology companies begin to cluster around the new computing infrastructure, Kazakhstan could move further up the digital value chain.
Instead of earning primarily from electricity and server hosting, the country could eventually generate more value from AI services, cloud computing, software, research and technology exports.
The global AI race is no longer only about who develops the best algorithms.
It is increasingly a race for chips, electricity, data centers and connectivity.
With a 125 MW project in Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan is making its bid to become part of that infrastructure layer.
