Kuzbass Governor Proposes Data Centers in Abandoned Coal Quarries

Kemerovo Oblast Governor Ilya Seredyuk proposed locating data centers in abandoned coal mines.

Consensus

Governor Ilya Seredyuk proposed placing data centers in abandoned coal quarries in Kuzbass.
The proposal was made during the Russian Energy Week 2026.
The data centers would be built downward into the quarries, not upward.
Underground water from aquifers can be used for cooling the data center equipment.
This approach would reduce capital and operational expenses, especially on cooling systems.
The quarries are currently subject to reclamation by coal companies, which is costly.
The location would increase the security of the data center from external threats.
The initiative aims to support the coal industry and attract investment.

Three Yandex data centers were hit in early October, and on October 14, a Sberbank data center in Balakovo, Saratov Oblast, was attacked. — tg_astrapress
On October 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on information security, which he linked to external aggression and cyber threats, but his press secretary denied a direct connection to the recent attacks. — vedomosti
On October 11, a data center of Yandex in Vladimir was damaged by drones from the Ukrainian military. Sberbank confirmed an attack on its data center in Balakovo on October 14. — vm
The governor stated that the project could include mining centers and that the quarry could be covered with a roof and turned into a park after construction. — interfax
The governor stated that capital costs for such data centers would be minimal. — vesti