Facilities That Need Cold: From Dairy Complexes to 1 GW Data Centers

A review of investment projects requiring refrigeration technologies, covering 9–13 November 2026. The selection includes facilities in food processing, pharmaceuticals, IT infrastructure, logistics, sports, and hospitality.

Data Centres and IT Infrastructure

In Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan, the 'Data Centre Valley' is under construction, with capacity planned to reach 1 GW by 2029. According to KPMG estimates presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, the project's potential annual export revenue could reach $3.1 billion, while total investment over the data centres' 20-year service life could amount to up to $115 billion. The meeting also discussed attracting international investors, power supply, and commissioning timelines for the facilities.

In the village of Tamalakan in Verkhnevilyuysky District, Yakutia, a data centre is planned to support the development of artificial intelligence technologies. Computing capacity will be available to enterprises, universities, IT companies, and government agencies across the Russian Far East. Petr Nikolaev, Minister of Innovation, Digital Development, and Infocommunications of Yakutia, stated that the project is designed to serve several Far Eastern Federal District regions. The site and required infrastructure were discussed at a field meeting; specialists inspected several locations and assessed their suitability for construction.

Source: dknews.kz, bigasia.ru

Food Industry

LLC 'Molochnaya Derzhava' (Kazan) plans to build a dairy complex in Khabarovsk Krai with a herd of 6,500 head of cattle. According to the regional government's press service, the preliminary investment volume is RUB 4.4 billion, with the first phase scheduled for 2026–2029. The planned annual milk output is 49,200 tonnes. Three sites in the krai's agricultural districts are under consideration: Lazo District, Vyzemsky Okrug, and Khabarovsk District.

In Kochenevsky District, Novosibirsk Region, a full-cycle milk processing facility will be built, producing milk, sour cream, cheese, processed cheese, fermented dairy products, and cottage cheese. Maximum daily throughput after commissioning will be 50 tonnes. The first floor will house the unloading zone, fat-melting workshop, dried-milk reconstitution rooms, milk-receiving area, butter and cottage-cheese production lines, packaging area, finished-product storage, and technical and auxiliary rooms; the mezzanine will accommodate the laboratory and staff facilities. The second floor will be occupied by the equipment workshop, production workshop, smoking department, and cheese cooling, drying, and ripening chambers. The third floor is allocated for an additional production workshop, a canteen, and a block of service rooms.

Source: interfax-russia.ru, novosibirsk.bezformata.com

Pharmaceuticals

In Krasnoselsky District, St. Petersburg, a research and production centre for polysaccharide conjugate vaccines is planned. The new building will expand the capabilities of the city's Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera in developing and manufacturing products for the prevention of infectious diseases. As the Smolny press service reported, the city government approved amendments to the planning documentation for the 'Krasnoselskaya' industrial zone at a working meeting chaired by the governor. Construction of the centre will form part of the implementation of the Strategy for the Development of Immunoprophylaxis of Infectious Diseases through 2035. The start date for construction and the commissioning timeline have not yet been specified.

Source: rbc.ru

Logistics

A subsidiary of the Wildberries marketplace, 'RVB Kaliningrad', became a resident of the Kaliningrad Special Economic Zone in late September. The company plans to build a distribution centre in the region and may invest several billion rubles; the project is expected to create approximately 2,000 new jobs. Regional authorities are to allocate a plot of land to 'RVB Kaliningrad' without a competitive tender, near the Southern Bypass and the Dorozhnoye settlement, between the freight railway line and the Kaliningrad–Mamonovo-2 highway.

Source: kaliningrad.rbc.ru

Sports and Hospitality

In Noyabrsk (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug), the 'Arctic Circle' ice complex will be built. The okrug is allocating more than RUB 53 million to the city for comprehensive site outfitting: purchasing equipment for the ice rink, setting up a sports-equipment rental point, and installing a sound system. The project's goal is to create a comfortable venue for ice skating and winter recreation for children and adults alike. The decree on financial support was signed by Governor Dmitry Art'yov.

In Nizhnekamsk, the investment council reviewed three projects with a combined investment of approximately RUB 1.2 billion. The first is a 100-room hotel next to the 'Nizhnekamsk Thermae' (RUB 600 million). The second is a two-storey restaurant serving Russian, Georgian, and Greek cuisine in the Neftekhimikov Park (approximately RUB 200 million), with plans to open a training and practical centre for chefs and pastry chefs. The third is a tennis and padel centre on Syuyumbike Street: four tennis courts, four padel courts, a gym, a general fitness area, a café, and a viewing platform. All three projects are planned for implementation in 2029–2030.

Source: yamal.kp.ru, ntr-24.ru

Author: KrioFrost Academy