At the third Tashkent International Investment Forum, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan inaugurated the first phase of a landmark project to construct multiple high-tech facilities, including a state-of-the-art Data Center by Saudi Arabia's DataVolt company, as it was informed by Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan.
One of the central objectives of Uzbekistan's ongoing reforms is to propel the country into the ranks of the world's economically developed nations. A crucial component of this ambition is the comprehensive integration of advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) across all sectors of the state and society. The "Uzbekistan - 2030" strategy outlines three primary goals in the realm of digitization:
- UN E-Government Ranking: Elevate Uzbekistan into the TOP-30 advanced countries by 2030.
- IT Export Growth: Boost the export of IT services and software products to $5 bn by 2030.
- High-Income IT Jobs: Increase the number of young professionals in high-income IT sector jobs to 300,000.
Major investments are being funneled into the development of Uzbekistan's ICT sector to create a robust digital economy. Over the past seven years, the country has attracted $2.2 bn in investments, with $1.1 bn (51%) coming from foreign direct investment.
In a major step towards realizing these goals, the first phase of the "Green" Data Center project has begun in collaboration with DataVolt . The project is designed to be completed in stages, with a total investment of $5 bn planned by 2030.
- Initial Phase: The first stage involves constructing a Data Center with a capacity of 10 MW at a cost of $150 mn. This facility will be located in IT Park Uzbekistan, Tashkent.
- Second Phase: The project will expand with a 250 MW Data Center on 25 hectares of land in the "New Tashkent" region.
- Third Phase: A Data Center with an initial capacity of 40 MW, scalable up to 250 MW, will be developed on another 25 hectares in the Bukhara region.
The construction of these data centers is entirely financed by direct foreign investments. DataVolt plans to fund the project through its resources and loans from international financial institutions, without requiring state guarantees.
Upon completion, DataVolt aims to attract major foreign IT companies to the Data Center. The facility will offer infrastructure leases and other services based on green technology, positioning Uzbekistan as a pioneer in sustainable digital infrastructure. This project is poised to be the world's first significant green energy initiative in the data center industry.
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