In Russia, 38 previously announced data center construction projects totaling 168.6 billion rubles have been frozen. For the most part, projects of commercial data centers that are being built to sell capacity are being postponed.
Of the 128 projects for the construction of data processing centers (data centers) in Russia with a total investment of about 1 trillion rubles, 38 have been suspended, Forbes writes according to Techexpo and RCC data for June 2026.
Investments in frozen facilities amount to 168.6 billion rubles. Examples include the Alcon Group project (approximately 10 billion rubles, stopped due to a fire at the construction site), the Wildberries project "Upper Fields 51A" (7 billion rubles, suspended due to legal and land issues).
42 projects with an investment volume of 282.1 billion rubles are currently under construction. 97 data centers (838.1 billion rubles of investments) are planned to be commissioned by 2030. From May 2023 to May 2026, the number of projects in the active stages of construction decreased by 41.6%, and the volume of investments in them decreased by 26.3%, analysts noted.
The adjustment of individual projects is related to the need to adapt to new economic conditions, changes in facility capacity requirements, and a more thorough study of financial models, MWS Cloud explained.
Data center construction plans are primarily influenced by the high key rate, which reached 21% last year, says Stanislav Mirin, an analyst at iKS-Consulting: "Now it has dropped to 14.25%, but this is still a lot, given that commercial data center projects are designed to pay off for about 10 years, and with such a rate, the business model often just doesn't add up."
This situation primarily has a negative impact on commercial data centers, which are being built to sell capacity through private investment and debt financing. For example, companies such as Key Point and Alfa Finance have postponed the deadlines for commissioning their facilities.
"For commercial projects, the cost of financing, access to energy, and the ability to scale the facility without putting excessive strain on the project's economy are crucial," said Daniel Novitsky, CEO of the RCC.
Obtaining a permit to connect to the electric grid is also a problem, Mirin added: "Sometimes you have to wait more than a year for it. In the Moscow region, according to market participants, it is now almost impossible for new investors to obtain such a permit."
2025 has already become a failure in terms of expanding commercial data centers. The pace of commissioning new facilities has tripled compared to the previous year, despite the fact that there is already a shortage of resources on the market.
The volume of the Russian data center market in 2025 amounted to 100 billion rubles, according to MTS estimates. Russia ranks 15th in the world ranking with 181 data centers, of which 101 are located in Moscow.
However, the capital has already exhausted the available capacity for the construction of data centers. Energy grid companies began to refuse to conclude contracts for connecting new facilities to the electric grid. All existing resources are either already in operation or reserved for 2026-2028 for major players.
