Bloomberg
Kazakhstan signed accords with the start-up Firebird Inc on computing projects involving Nvidia Corp that could bring as much as US$10 billion in investment, as the Central Asian energy producer looks to position itself as an artificial intelligence (AI) hub.The pacts include a strategic cooperation agreement on developing AI infrastructure and terms for a planned large-scale project known as Data Center Valley in the country’s northeast, the Kazakh Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development said in a statement.The plan envisages US$5 billion in investments in phase one — including US$1 billion provided by state-run Kazakhtelecom — with commercial operations at the 125-megawatt facility planned to start next year, it said.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, left, and Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov pose for a photo during a meeting in Astana on March 25.
The timing of the second phase, and the estimated US$5 billion in additional investments, is to be determined later.Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said the goal was to create a platform for hosting global digital infrastructure.
Kazakhstan is seeking to leverage its abundance of land, low-cost energy and strategic location between Asia and Europe to gain an edge in the global race to build AI infrastructure. The push is part of a broader effort by Central Asia’s largest economy to diversify beyond natural resources and make itself a regional center for advanced computing.“According to our estimates, the project’s implementation will generate at least US$3 billion in export revenue annually, create new jobs, attract global technology companies and strengthen Kazakhstan’s position as one of Eurasia’s key digital hubs,” Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev said.The project would enable the creation of a large-scale computing cluster based on 100,000 of the latest-generation graphic processing unit (GPU) chips, including Nvidia GB300 and Vera Rubin, he said.To support those efforts, Kazakhstan is working to lay a fiber optic cable to Azerbaijan through the Caspian Sea, increasing its connectivity to the wider region. Kazakhstan also launched a supercomputer last year based on Nvidia H200 chips.Under the framework of the partnership, Firebird’s Kazakh subsidiary is to secure and finance AI computing infrastructure and related technology, while Kazakhtelecom is to be responsible for the power, cooling and telecommunications connectivity needed for data centers. Nvidia is supporting Firebird with the design of the project and with GPUs and other technology, the ministry said.US-based Firebird, which specializes in building AI infrastructure and data centers, is also working on a supercomputer project in Armenia, and last year secured US government approval to export Nvidia chips to the south Caucasus country.
