Moscow has virtually no spare power capacity left to supply data centers (DCs)—they're either already in operation or reserved for several years to meet the needs of major players. As a result, power grid companies have begun refusing to sign contracts to connect new DCs to the grid in the capital, Vedomosti reported, citing industry sources.
According to experts, data centers are connected to the power grid on the same basis as any other industrial consumers. According to Government Decree No. 861, which regulates grid connections, if an electricity supplier does not have the required capacity, they can offer the customer a smaller capacity. However, this option is unacceptable for data centers, one of Vedomosti's sources told us.
According to independent energy expert and Doctor of Economics Dmitry Stapran, the possibility of further deployment of new data centers in Moscow and the surrounding region is extremely limited. The commissioning of new generation is scheduled for 2027–2030. Construction of new high-voltage lines from existing generation is scheduled for 2030–2032.
Moscow's data centers are approximately 95% occupied, and the region's available capacity does not exceed 1400 rack units, according to Akhmetzhan Makhmutov, Advisor to the Governor of the Vladimir Region. As a result, construction is shifting to other regions, with new projects underway in Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, and Rostov-on-Don.
Хотя в удалённых от центра регионах нет проблем с подключением, там ниже спрос из-за удалённости от клиентов и точек обмена трафиком, сообщил Махмутов. Сейчас самая низкая цена на оптовом рынке зафиксирована в Сибири, но для большинства клиентов это предложение не представляет интереса из-за проблем с логистикой. Зачастую в регионах размещают небольшие корпоративные ЦОД локальные компании, говорит директор направления data centers компании Selectel Илья Михайлов. У бизнеса нет острой необходимости перемещать свои ресурсы, несмотря на профицит мощностей в регионах, отметил он.
It's economically unprofitable for large companies to build data centers in the regions because their primary users are concentrated in Moscow and the Moscow region, according to Andrey Proshletsov, Director of Strategy and Analytics at Cloud.ru. Businesses strive to locate their IT infrastructure in locations closest to their clients to minimize latency and other risks. Furthermore, for some regions, building large data centers is impractical because, without significant additional investment in the network between the data centers, the signal will travel through Moscow, which will only increase latency, he added.
Current legislation provides incentives for investment in data centers, specifically through the conclusion of agreements on the protection and promotion of capital investments (IPCAs). Under the IPCAs, in accordance with Federal Law No. 69 "On the Protection and Promotion of Capital Investments in the Russian Federation," 50% of the actual costs of constructing supporting infrastructure facilities, as well as the repayment of interest and coupon income, are reimbursed.
According to the Cabinet of Ministers' forecast, by 2030, energy consumption in data centers in Russia will increase at least 2,5 times to 2,5 GW.
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Source: 3dnews.ru
