Electricity tariff for the Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz - from 2.5 cents per kWh

The first data center (DC) with a capacity of 50 MW is planned to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2027; the capacity of the first phase — 215 MW — has already been fully reserved, Kapital.kz reports. The project is designed to grow up to 1 GW.

The gist in brief

• The electricity tariff for the Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz is from 2.5 cents per kWh, which is described as a competitive advantage of the site.
• The first data center with a capacity of 50 MW is expected to become operational in the second quarter of 2027.
• The capacity of the first phase, 215 MW, is fully reserved; the project is designed to grow up to 1 GW.
• The project is being implemented with NVIDIA and Firebird; the site was visited by the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev and the Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakhtelecom Bagdat Mussin.

What is known about the tariff

A kilowatt-hour is the unit used to measure consumed electricity. The tariff of 2.5 cents per kWh is cited in the report as one of the site's advantages for investors.

Madiyev called Data Center Valley a "strategic project" for the national artificial intelligence infrastructure. Mussin said that the project will make it possible to turn available energy into a new export product, that is, to sell computing capacity.

Capacity and timelines

The first data center is designed for 50 MW, with commissioning planned for the second quarter of 2027. The capacity of the first phase is 215 MW and is fully reserved. The project provides for modern cooling systems, improved energy efficiency and compliance with environmental standards.

What was reported earlier

The 2.5 cent tariff was also mentioned in the summer: in July, in response to a Forbes Kazakhstan request, the Ministry of Digital Development reported that the cost of electricity for investors would be around 2.5 cents per kWh, while the mechanism was still being worked out. Among the conditions for investors, a long-term fixation of the tariff and a separate tariff circuit were mentioned.

In September, Kazakhtelecom was seeking capital for the project: total investment was estimated at $10 billion, with capacity of at least 300 MW and growth up to 1 GW. At the Power Trends forum in Astana, the Director of the Electricity Development Department of the Ministry of Energy, Asylzhan Mussin, stated that new data centers should purchase electricity from a single buyer, and that a separate tariff and a separate solution are envisaged for data centers in the Pavlodar region.

Author's conclusion

The figure of 2.5 cents is not being heard for the first time, and now timelines and reserved capacity have appeared alongside it. For investors, what matters most is whether the tariff will be locked in for the long term and on what terms tenants will receive it.