Belarus is ready to host Russian data centers and provide them with electricity. The idea is being discussed against the backdrop of capacity shortages in Russia: in Moscow, where a significant portion of data centers are concentrated, the construction of new facilities is already restricted.
Alexey Sventitsky, CEO of the Belarusian Association of High Technologies and Digital Infrastructure, proposed working on the relocation of entire data center clusters to Belarus. Previously, the “Moscow – Minsk” project, a data center in the border zone, was already discussed. Now, these proposals are intended to be submitted to the working groups of the Union State.
For Russian companies, this could be a way to relieve pressure on Moscow and gain access to available power capacities. However, the idea has limitations: rules between the countries need to be agreed upon, the issue of storing personal data of Russians needs to be resolved, and fast communication channels with minimal latency need to be ensured.
The problem is becoming increasingly noticeable. According to the System Operator, the capacity of data centers and mining facilities connected to Russia's energy system reached 4.2 GW in 2025 – 33.3% more than a year earlier. By 2031, the consumption of such facilities could grow to 15.3 GW.
Therefore, Belarus's proposal looks not just like a political gesture, but an attempt to gain a foothold in the rapidly growing market for computing infrastructure. However, without a common regulatory framework and resolution of data-related issues, the relocation of data centers will remain more of a promising idea than a ready-made route.
