In August, near the Norwegian town of Alvdal will start the construction of the mining center of the Russian New Mining Company. At the site, which is now pulling power and optical lines, will be installed 8 containers with several thousand units of computer equipment for mining. The amount of investment is approximately one billion Norwegian kroner ($120 million).
This mining center will become not the first for Scandinavian countries — it attracts the business of low tariffs for electricity and cold climate. But the installation of computer facilities in Alvdal and that Russian has raised questions of the local residents and the concerns of the intelligence agencies of the country.
In early October in this region of Norway start of a major NATO exercises Trident Juncture in 2018, and many decided that the coincidence is not accidental — computing power can be used for spying.
The local company Nordanvind in charge of construction, confirmed that they have not had time to communicate with representatives of secret services of Norway.
“We believe that the arrival of the Russian is here — pure coincidence. What kind of equipment they brought in their containers — it is easy to learn. I don’t think it can be useful for something other than bitcoin mining,” — explained the representative of the company Arild levick (Arild Løvik).
The representative of the New Mining Company in Norway Johnny Andersen (Andersen Jonny) also does not see the placement of the mining center for cyber security of the country:
“As far as I know Russian owners, these guys are serious. They understand that their activities are closely interested in the Norwegian intelligence. So they are waiting for checks and not afraid of anything”.
However, according to the Director of the division of Internet and new media at the Norwegian Association of IT industry (IKT-Norge), Torgeir Waterhouse (Torgeir Waterhouse), the exact purpose of the computers may be known only to those who directly adjusts equipment.
Military intelligence and the police of Norway to comment on the situation refused.
Recall that in yet another international centre of mining — the canadian province of Quebec authorities were forced to impose a moratorium on accepting new applications for the placement of computing power.
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