In April last year, a number of blue containers appeared at Stokmarknes in Hadsel municipality. These contained powerful computers that mine cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin. But these computers use power – a lot of power. It is estimated that around 40 per cent of the municipality’s electricity is used to power the computers. Therefore, low electricity prices in Northern Norway were an important reason why the company behind the crypto facility, Stokmarknes Datasenter, established itself in Vesterål municipality. But the plant has been controversial ever since it started last spring. Neighbors of the plant claim they struggle to sleep at night because of the noise from the plant. This despite the fact that measurements have shown that the noise is below the limit values. Heavy or light industry? After a number of neighbor complaints, the politicians in the municipality had had enough. The board decided to revoke the permit that the crypto plant had received a couple of months earlier. The reason was that the politicians believed that the facility was in conflict with the zoning plan for the area. Because while the area only allows light industry, the chairmanship believed that the crypto plant was both noisy and used so much electricity that it should be considered heavy industry. The politicians who sit on the chairmanship in Hadsel municipality must now process the issue of crypto facilities in the municipality again after the State Administrator has revoked the decision. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news Stokmarknes Data Center complained about the decision, which they believed was invalid. The complaint eventually reached the State Administrator, who has now come up with a decision: “Based on general principles for the interpretation of regulatory plans, the State Administrator in Nordland has come to the conclusion that the plant is in accordance with the purpose of light industry”, they write in a press release on Wednesday. Therefore, there is no authority to reject the application on the grounds that it is heavy industry, writes the Statsforvalteren. The decision is final and cannot be appealed. This means that the municipality must now process the whole case again. Mayor: – Wants a national ban Aina Johanne Nilsen (Sp) writes in an e-mail to news that they have been informed by the State Administrator about their handling of the case. Now they will ask the director of the municipality to bring forward a new case for consideration by the chairmanship, which is the municipality’s appeals body. She is still of the opinion that the politicians, across party lines, do not want the crypto facility in the municipality. – I am experiencing a clear, cross-political Hadsel who wants a national ban on data centers that mine cryptocurrency. This is a labor-intensive business that creates little value for society. Aina Johanne Nilsen (Sp) is mayor of Hadsel municipality. Pictured here during a chairman’s meeting where the issue of the crypto facility in the municipality was dealt with last autumn. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news When asked whether the politicians in the municipality have done too bad a job when the decision to revoke the permit was made, mayor Nilsen points to the regulations which she believes are deficient. – The state administrator’s handling of the case confirms that there is a great need for better regulation of this type of business if a ban is not introduced. She refers to the State Administrator’s decision, which states that there is no clear definition of what is to be considered light industry. – I feel that the politicians have tried to safeguard local self-government in the best possible way in a very demanding case – Correct decision – The state administrator has carried out an orderly and thorough review of the case. In our opinion, the decision is correct. This is what community contact Carsten Lier in Stokmarknes Data Center writes in an e-mail to news. Carsten Lier is community contact for Stokmarknes Datasenter. Pictured here when he was at Stokmarknes last autumn. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news The crypto facility has no intention of shutting down operations at Stokmarknes, but has acknowledged that noise has bothered the nearest neighbors in the first time the facility has been in operation. Temporary measures have been put in place, and in the long term the aim is to build a permanent building for the computers and the noisy ventilation. – This whole process has been time-consuming and has delayed the goal of getting the data center into a permanent building as quickly as possible, continues Lier. He believes the proceedings have created uncertainty for the operators of the plant, as well as the neighbors who have been bothered by noise. – Now we can finally start the process of applying for a permanent building, and hopefully start construction work as quickly as possible. Lier writes that he now hopes that the politicians in Hadsel will help ensure that this work is not delayed further, and that the noise problems may disappear when a closed building is completed. In the autumn, sound-insulating walls were put up to reduce some of the noise problems that the crypto plant has brought with it. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news
ttn-69
The state administrator revokes the decision against the crypto center in Hadsel in Vesterålen – news Nordland
