Russian data centers have increased their power consumption by more than 33% over the year. Demand is driven by artificial intelligence, growing load on IT infrastructure, and mining, which accounts for about 60% of the industry's capacity.
The main problem is no longer the total volume of electricity, but its distribution. Moscow, the Moscow region, southern Russia, and southeastern Siberia are facing a deficit, while in the Northwest, Volga region, and parts of the Urals, capacities remain free.
Moving infrastructure from the capital is not easy: the main communication channels are concentrated there. Classic data centers in Moscow are not prohibited, but new facilities can be connected under the fourth reliability category — with the risk of disconnection during peak load hours.
The market will have to choose between its own generation, for example, gas, and relocating to other regions. The second option faces challenges such as data transmission delays, communication quality, availability of specialists, and operating costs.
The Arctic is unlikely to be a simple solution: cold helps save on cooling, but remoteness sharply increases costs. However, regions with surplus energy can attract customers from BRICS, CIS, and Asian countries — some Chinese companies are already using Russian platforms to operate in neighboring markets.