BitCluster opens mining centre on NorNickel site

A Russian industrial mining operator, BitCluster, has opened a large data centre on the site of the closed NorNickel plant in Norilsk.

We are happy to inform you that data center #BitCluster Nord is open 🥳
The first batch of 150 machines of Antminers S19 has already been sent to the facility and soon the mining equipment will be installed on the shelves. #mining pic.twitter.com/T7bRUoAusq

— BitCluster (@bit_cluster) October 14, 2020

The data centre will operate as a ‘mining hotel’. Users will be able to rent equipment for mining cryptocurrencies, paying additionally for electricity. For the supply of power, BitCluster has signed a direct contract with the Norilsk-Taymyr Energy Company.

The first client of the data centre will be a Chinese firm, the name of which is not disclosed.

BitCluster has already received the first 150 Antminer S19 ASIC miners and will deploy them in the near future. Engineers have designed a canopy with a warm-air supply to prevent snow ingress and protect the equipment from overcooling.

The first phase of the data centre’s power capacity is 11.2 MW. Next year, the target is to increase to 31 MW.

Earlier in April, NorNickel president Vladimir Potanin backed the Digital Financial Assets law, which will come into force on 1 January 2021.

The plans to issue metal-backed tokens were first announced by the head of NorNickel in 2019.

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