coindesk.com
CleanSpark (CLSK), a sustainable bitcoin mining and energy technology company, has bought 20-megawatt, immersion cooling infrastructure for its Norcross, Ga. bitcoin mining facility and is aiming to increase its mining efficiency by over 20%.
The technology is expected to not only increase CleanSpark’s mining efficiency, but also will reduce its operational expenses, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
“We are constantly seeking ways to make our operations more sustainable and productive while achieving maximum performance,” CleanSpark CEO Zach Bradford said. “Deploying an environment-friendly cooling technology that also increases the economics of our bitcoin mining operations was an obvious choice for us,” he added.
In liquid immersion cooling, which is an alternative to traditional air-cooling systems, mining machines are fully immersed in a synthetic hydrocarbon compound liquid that has no electrical conductivity and is fully biodegradable. The specialized liquid can reduce heat, power consumption and noise stemming from the computers as well as prolong the lifespan of the machines, allowing miners to maximize profit.
“This approach is in stark contrast with air-cooled data centers – the current standard in the bitcoin mining industry – which require regular cleaning or replacement of the machine or filters because the constant flow of air carries minute particulate matter such as dust and pollen,” the company said.
As more miners continue to enter the digital asset mining sector, companies are looking to use more innovative technologies, including immersion cooling, to stay ahead of the competition. Most recently, Riot Blockchain, one of the largest bitcoin miners, said that it plans to increase mining hashrate up to 50% by using a 200 megawatts of immersion-cooling technology at its Whinstone facility in Texas.
The use of immersion cooling at CleanSpark’s Norcross facility will be in phases, with the first eight megawatt expected to be online in February. When fully implemented, the project will consist of 180 liquid-filled tanks, with each tank holding 33 units of the Antminer S19j Pro mining machines, the company said.
As of Nov. 30, the miner has a fleet of approximately 12,900 latest-generation bitcoin miners with a total hashrate of 1.3 exahash per second.