Nvidia CEO proposes Kazakhstan turn electricity into intelligence for export

Firebird has received a US export license for 45,000 Nvidia accelerators for a project in Kazakhstan, and Nvidia announced an investment in the startup Higgsfield, which employs hundreds of specialists in Kazakhstan. This is stated in Nvidia's blog.

The gist in brief

• "Instead of simply exporting energy, in the future it will be possible to turn energy into intelligence and export intelligence," said Huang.
• Firebird has received a US export license for 45,000 Nvidia Grace Blackwell accelerators; the commercial launch of the first phase of the project is scheduled for the third quarter of 2027.
• The potential capacity of Firebird's AI infrastructure in Kazakhstan after the second phase will be about 500 MW.
• Kazakhtelecom has already deployed 400 H200 accelerators and 480 B300 in Astana and Almaty, and in the Ekibastuz area next year it plans more than 1,000 Vera Rubin accelerators.

What Huang said and what already exists

Huang came to Kazakhstan for the first time. According to him, instead of exporting energy alone, the country can turn it into intelligence and export a finished product. He added that physical AI can transform industries from mining and mineral processing to agriculture.

Firebird is building the first phase together with Kazakhtelecom in Data Center Valley, and the operator itself is seeking capital for the project through several channels at once. The commercial launch is scheduled for the third quarter of 2027. The second phase could bring the potential capacity of Firebird's AI infrastructure in Kazakhstan to approximately 500 MW.

In June, the government announced a package of agreements on AI and digital infrastructure worth up to $10 billion involving Firebird and Nvidia. It provides for a computing cluster that should eventually number up to 100,000 graphics processors. In Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz, the first phase is declared at 300 MW with plans to expand to 1 GW.

What about Higgsfield

Nvidia announced an investment in the startup Higgsfield, which develops video generation tools; the amount was not disclosed. The company employs more than 300 specialists in Kazakhstan. In August, Higgsfield raised $400 million in a Series B round at a valuation of $5.4 billion. Huang noted that investment in people and in local developers matters.

What remains open

Infrastructure can be built with borrowed money, but whether Kazakhstan will become an exporter of AI products rather than a site for someone else's equipment will only be shown by the launch of commercial phases. The real effect on the economy can be calculated by comparing savings with spending on imported equipment.

What is happening with AI and data centers in Kazakhstan

The idea of exporting intelligence runs into electricity. The "Data Center Valley" in Ekibastuz starts with a capacity of 300 MW with prospects of up to 1 GW, whereas in 2025 the country was not covering its own consumption: a deficit of about 1.5 billion kWh was covered by imports from Russia. The head of Kazakhtelecom, Bagdat Musin, estimated the electricity demand of the country's existing and future data centers at 5 GW. Investors and tenants of the "Data Center Valley" are promised electricity at a tariff starting from 2.5 cents per kWh. The project operator itself has changed its ownership structure: Kazakhtelecom sold its 50% stake in KT-Telecom, which manages the "Data Center Valley," and it is now controlled on a parity basis by Samruk-Kazyna Invest.

Meanwhile, AI is already being used in the real sector. A unified digital platform with AI elements is supposed to identify disruptions in coal supplies for the heating season in advance; 7.5 million tonnes need to be ensured. The Ministry of Energy approved a professional standard for digitalization and AI in the energy sector with three new professions, including an engineer for implementing AI in Smart Grid.

There is also a regional dimension. Businesses from five Central Asian countries proposed a draft intergovernmental agreement on digital compatibility and AI regulation without a single regulator, but for now this is a proposal for governments.

Author's conclusion

Kazakhtelecom currently has 400 H200 and 480 B300 accelerators, while Firebird's license covers 45,000 Grace Blackwell accelerators. The gap between what is operating and what is declared shows what stage the project is at: until the commercial launch of the first phase in the third quarter of 2027, the idea of "exporting intelligence" remains a plan. Whether added value stays in the country depends on where models and products will be created and stored.