Russia has the opportunity to earn billions of dollars annually from data center services exports, according to Izvestia. This is driven by a global shortage of computing power amid explosive demand for artificial intelligence, with affordable energy and the climatic conditions of Siberia and the Far East providing a competitive advantage.
The country already operates about 194 commercial data centers, and the existing and planned capacities are sufficient not only for domestic needs but also for serving foreign clients, including large neural network projects.
Climate is a key factor in reducing costs: in the Khabarovsk Krai, for example, outdoor air can be used to cool equipment eight to nine months a year, significantly reducing electricity consumption. Additionally, residents of advanced development territories receive electricity at a rate of 4.5–6.5 rubles per kWh — which is twice cheaper than in China. As a result, maintaining a data center in Russia costs investors two to two and a half times less.
Against this backdrop, interest from Asian companies is growing. Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent can reduce operating costs and meet environmental obligations by locating capacities in Russia, where data centers primarily run on hydropower.
The share of regional projects for data center construction exceeded 15% in early 2026 and continues to grow. Active development is taking place in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk Oblasts. Key Point has already launched one facility and is building a second in the Nadezhdinskaya Advanced Development Territory, while Rostelecom and MegaFon are scaling their infrastructure.
A separate project is in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug: authorities are interested in creating a data center in the Nyagan special economic zone. A preliminary agreement was signed back in 2023, but implementation is still pending. However, Governor Ruslan Kukharuk announced new data centers in Yugra in December 2026.
