An Australian data center operator and its cryptocurrency subsidiary are developing what they describe as the country’s first “behind-the-grid data center” powered by renewable energy.
Situated in the coal-mining town of Collie, some 200km south of Perth, the new facility is being developed by data center operator DC Two and subsidiary D Coin and will be powered by a solar farm built by a company called Hadouken, IT Brief reports.
With the key objective of competitive power rates via primarily renewable source, the company claims it will offer the lowest cost and highest density data center in Australia. The data center will notably offer specific zones customized to host cryptocurrency mining operations.
“By providing customised low cost hosting options specifically engineered for cryptocurrency and Bitcoin mining at globally competitive rates, DC Two & D Coin have been able to attract the interest of both the local and international crypto mining community,” the company said.
The first stages of the data center and the solar farm will draw an expected power supply of up to 4 megawatts and is will take shape in early 2019. At this stage, the two installations are expected to service 256 IT racks wherein each rack is capable of delivering up to 30 kw of IT load.
Through its crypto-mining hosting subsidiary D Coin, DC Two underlined its intent to cater to crypto mining operations.
The company said:
In complete crypto mining configuration, using the initial 4MW power availability, the data centre could mine about 650 bitcoins per annum worth around $6 million based on current mining and exchange rates.
The endeavor is the second instance of a proposed ‘behind-the-grid data center’ in Australia, both taking shape this year. In May, Sydney-based blockchain firm IoT Group – a company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) – announced a conditional binding agreement with the domestic seller of bitcoin mining hardware giant Bitfury to commence a crypto mining operation.
The conditional terms, specifically, relates to a proposed mining center built within a decommissioned coal plant – the Redbank power station in Hunter Valley, New South Wales. The AUD$190 million deal is contingent on the successful acquisition of the power station.
Featured image from Shutterstock.
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