Data-center law in Russia

Federal Law No. 7-FZ of 10 January 2002, "On Environmental Protection", Articles 4.2 and 31.1

Applies to both

Article 4.2 of the Law on Environmental Protection sorts every facility with a negative environmental impact into four categories by the level of that impact, from Category I (significant impact, subject to best-available-technology requirements) down to Category IV (minimal impact). Article 31.1 requires a legal entity or individual entrepreneur operating a Category I facility to obtain an integrated environmental permit, applied for electronically through the state services portal.

A large data centre's category, and so whether it needs an integrated permit, turns on criteria the Government sets under Article 4.2(3) rather than on a data-centre-specific rule; the content of those criteria is not described here.

Source: Full text of law

Federal Law No. 35-FZ of 26 March 2003, "On the Electric Power Industry", Article 26

Applies to both

Article 26 of the Law on the Electric Power Industry requires any technological connection of a consumer's power-receiving devices, energy-storage systems or generation facilities to the grid to follow a single procedure set by the Government, on a one-time basis, and to proceed under a public connection contract with the grid organisation.

For a facility meeting government-set criteria for planned construction and connection, the developer must additionally prepare and coordinate an external power-supply scheme with the grid organisation and the system operator before the connection proceeds. The Law's own commencement clause, Article 47, ties its entry into force to the day of official publication rather than stating a calendar date. Article 26 has itself been amended repeatedly, most recently by Federal Law No. 391-FZ of 27 October 2025.

Source: Full text of law

Town Planning Code of the Russian Federation (Federal Law No. 190-FZ of 29 December 2004), Article 51

Applies to both

Article 51 of the Town Planning Code makes a building permit the document that confirms project documentation conforms to the applicable urban-planning regulations before construction or reconstruction of a capital construction object. The permit is also what gives the developer the legal right to build. Issuance of a building permit is not required for a short list of cases Part 17 exempts.

A data centre, as a capital construction object outside that exempted list, needs this permit on the same terms as any other building project; the article carries no data-centre-specific rule. The permit itself is now confirmed by an entry in a register of building permits rather than a paper certificate, per a 2026 amendment to part 1.2.

Source: Full text of law