Bitcoin mining company BitRiver, which is subject to OFAC sanctions, plans to launch Russia’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) data center in the second half of 2024.
BitRiver Group’s subsidiary Bitriver-B plans to launch the largest data center for energy-intensive computing in Eurasia in the second half of 2024, Russian government news agency Prime reported. According to a report by Sergei Bezderov, director of the Industrial and Mining Association, the expected capacity of the data center is said to be 100 megawatts.
“This is the largest facility among all data centers in the Republic of Buryatia and the Far Eastern Federal District. As of today, BitRiver’s investment in the project exceeds 1.4 billion rubles [~$15.1 million]”
Sergey Bezderov
The report notes that BitRiver plans to complete the implementation of investment projects in Russia despite being included on the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list.
Mr. Bezderov highlighted the potential for growth in high-performance, energy-intensive computing in Russia, especially with the spread of artificial intelligence (AI). He also predicted that by 2035, the sector could require tens of gigawatts of electricity. Data centers are expected to focus on high-performance, energy-intensive computation, such as cryptocurrency mining, cloud services, and AI operations.
In April 2022, the US government added BitRiver and several of its subsidiaries to a sanctions list for operating in the technology sector of the Russian economy, with the aim of isolating Russia from the global financial system. The U.S. Treasury Department said in a press release that Russia has a “comparative advantage in crypto mining due to its energy resources and cold climate,” and that crypto mining companies are helping monetize Russia’s natural resources. Stated.
