Cryptocurrency Mining Facility Faces Shutdown Threats in Norway

Kryptovault, a Norwegian firm that specializes in cryptocurrency mining and data center operations, might have to shut down a facility located in the city of Hønefoss due to noise complaints issued against it by nearby residents and claims that they lack the required operating permits.

Noisy Cryptocurrency Mining Operations

As reported in The Local, the company’s facility in Hønefoss has been the recipient of several noise complaints due to the sound of its huge cooling fans. The local council is now looking into the operations of the site, claiming “that the facility lacks the required permissions, and has been operating illegally.”

In response, Stig Myrseth, the CEO of Kryptovault said that before commencing operations, the company was told it had the appropriate permits. However, the company is now applying for the missing permits and investing in noise-reduction equipment with the aim of reducing the noise level from 60 decibels to below 45 decibels.

A close neighbor to the facility reportedly complained to another local newspaper, the Dagens Næringsliv, that “the sound of the factory comes 24 hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year. Our summer has been ruined.”

Bomb Threat

While complaints about the noise level have been mostly verbal, one such complaint has gone beyond that. The company received a bomb threat last week after a report about the company appeared in a local newspaper.

The bomb threat reads:

“This is sabotage. If you are expanding crypto mining and filling the country with noise, then you will be sabotaging the peace. I am threatening to send you some explosives.”

The threat was immediately reported to the police and employees of the company at its three facilities in Honefoss, Dale and Follum were warned to be extra vigilant.

Gjermund Hagesaster, the Managing Director of Kryptovault, speaking to a local newspaper about the situation, said, “The facility at Follum is located in a fenced area, so it would be difficult for any intruder to gain access but the one at Dale is far more accessible, so we have warned everyone to be on their toes.”

The acting police investigator at the scene said that local authorities are taking the threat very seriously and assessing whether further security measures should be taken. The bomb threat was not directed at any of the company’s facilities in particular.

Cryptocurrency mining continues to be one of the hotly debated topics for stakeholders within and outside the industry. Environmental concerns stemming from the energy consumption of proof of work (PoW) mining are at the heart of many of these disagreements.