ArmInfo. The opening of the Firebird AI plant in Hrazdan and the deployment of the highly powerful NVIDIA Blackwell/Rubin infrastructure (18 MW currently, 300 MW in the future) is truly a significant achievement, allowing Armenia to take a truly prominent place on the global technological map. Levon Zurabyan, Deputy Chairman of the Armenian National Congress, wrote about this on his Facebook page.
According to him, an integral part of the project is the construction of a 1000 MW AI plant in Kazakhstan and the cooperation between the two plants through data transmission through Azerbaijan (thanks to the already known agreement between Tim Telecom and Azer Telecom).
"However, in the current context of acute geopolitical confrontation, dependence on a single technological ecosystem carries critical risks. The next logical step for Armenia's sovereignty and economic security should be the creation of an alternative AI computing center in the East in cooperation with China (tech platform) and Iran (energy and logistics platform). Under strict US export restrictions and sanctions, American and Chinese systems cannot interact on the same network in Armenia," the politician noted.
He added that the solution is the following physically and legally separated (so-called "air decoupling") structure:
1. The Western cluster (Firebird) will operate in accordance with American technological standards and will serve Western commercial giants (e.g., Perplexity) and startups.
2. The Eastern cluster (new project) will be based on Chinese AI chips (Huawei Ascend 910 series or Moore Threads) and domestic software. It will be managed by a separate legal entity, eliminating the risk of secondary sanctions for Western investors.
The largest expense in AI data centers is electricity (up to 40-50% of operating costs).
"By leveraging the existing gas-for-power agreement with Iran and the capacity of our thermal power plants, Armenia can create a cheap, stable, and domestic energy source specifically for this second hub. Together with the trans-Caspian cable passing through Azerbaijan, our own fiber-optic network running through Iran to the Persian Gulf will create an independent southern corridor for data transmission. This will reduce the risks of a possible digital blockade (the so-called "kill switch") from Azerbaijan. The geopolitical benefits for Armenia are obvious. If the upgrade or maintenance of NVIDIA chips is limited due to a global crisis or a change in Washington policy, Armenia will not lose its computing power. A parallel center powered by Chinese technology will ensure uninterrupted digital support for state security and the economy. Since the technological capital of this center will be cheaper than Western chips with limited access, Armenia will be able to provide local universities, scientists, and startups with virtually free or heavily subsidized computing time for the development of large-scale artificial intelligence models and Defense systems. Thus, in accordance with the "bridge country" concept, Armenia can become a digital "neutral zone," a unique platform where the technological infrastructures of the North Global Gate and the South Global Gate will operate side by side, ensuring maximum strategic and geopolitical balance. In the digital age, sovereignty is ensured not only by the military but also by the diversification of artificial intelligence production. The creation of a second, alternative hub will be one of the most reliable guarantees of Armenia's technological independence. Naturally, the current puppet, illegitimate government is incapable of such steps, but strategic planning and public preparation must begin today," believes Levon Zurabyan.
As a reminder, on August 8, the largest artificial intelligence data center (AI factory) in the region opened in the Armenian city of Hrazdan. Former Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia Mkhitar Hayrapetyan wrote about this on social media. "I'm pleased to announce that Firebird AI's AI Factory, one of the largest artificial intelligence infrastructures in the world, has just opened in Hrazdan," wrote Hayrapetyan.
The opening was attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Vice President Rev Lebaredyan, and Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev. By the end of 2027, the AI Factory is planned to be equipped with over 70,000 state-of-the-art NVIDIA GPUs (Vera Rubin and Blackwell). In addition to Armenia, Firebird is also building a data center in Kazakhstan.
