NVIDIA joins Kazakhstan's Data Center Valley, a 300 MW project that could reach 1 GW
NVIDIA will join the next stage of Kazakhstan's Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz, a 300 MW project with room to reach 1 GW, Kazakh officials say.
A gigawatt on the steppe! NVIDIA is joining the next stage of Kazakhstan's Data Center Valley, a project in Ekibastuz that envisions about 300 MW of computing capacity with potential to expand to 1 GW, according to the Kazakh president's office.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met NVIDIA Vice President of Physical AI Simulation Rev Lebaredian in Astana on October 1, 2026. Lebaredian outlined NVIDIA's plans to take part, Akorda says.
The supporting cast is serious. Per NVIDIA's blog, US-based Firebird has secured a U.S. export license for 45,000 Grace Blackwell GPUs. Its first phase is under construction with Kazakhtelecom, targeting commercial launch in the third quarter of 2027. A second phase would lift Firebird's total potential capacity in Kazakhstan to roughly 500 megawatts. Kazakhtelecom has already deployed 400 H200 and 480 B300 GPUs in Astana and Almaty, and plans more than 1,000 GPUs in the Valley plus over 1,000 Vera Rubin GPUs in Ekibastuz next year.
What the coverage leaves out: NVIDIA's financial commitment, a date for reaching 1 GW, and who supplies the power and cooling.
My take? A head of state, a chip giant and a gigawatt ambition in one frame. Everything is historic. Especially today.
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Sources
- Kazakhstan Expands Compute for Its AI Future, NVIDIA Blog
- President Tokayev Holds Meeting with NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebaredian, Akorda.kz
- NVIDIA to join next phase of Kazakhstan's Data Center Valley project, Qazinform.com
- Kazakhstan Can Build on Its Strengths, Advance Digital Entrepreneurs, Says NVIDIA's VP, The Astana Times
Meanwhile at the anchor desk
Two capacity figures are in play: 300 MW growing to 1 GW for the Valley, and about 500 MW in total potential capacity for Firebird after its planned second phase. Neither comes with a date for the gigawatt or a price tag.
The hardware list is concrete: 400 H200s and 480 B300s deployed now, Vera Rubin next year. The power and cooling supplier is still blank, and that's the part that decides whether it runs.
