MUSCAT: Italy’s Alps Blockchain SpA, a tech company specialising in the generation of computational power for digital mining, has announced the start of construction work on the second phase of its mining farm at Salalah — a significant upgrade that will create one of the largest blockchain data centres in the country.
Alps Blockchain currently operates a global network of over 15,000 mining units worldwide, achieving a total energy capacity of around 60 MW and exceeding 2 EH/s (exhash per second) — a key measure of a cryptocurrency miner’s computational power.
Announcing the launch of Phase 2 of its mining farm in Salalah, Alps Blockchain noted in a post on Thursday: “With brand new containers installed on site, the mining farm in Oman has officially entered the heart of Phase 2. An ambitious infrastructure taking shape, block by block. A new challenge where the sea meets the desert!”
The latter reference is to the seaside location of its mining farm in Salalah, overlooking the expanse of the Indian Ocean. The mining farm has been built on the sprawling hub of Green Data City LLC, an Omani company that in 2022 received the government’s first license to invest in sustainable crypto-mining operations in Oman. Phase 1 of Alps Blockchain’s facility, offering energy capacity of 10 MW, was completed in the first half of 2024. This capacity is projected to rise exponentially to 150 MW in the current second phase.
Alps Blockchain explained: “From 10 to 150 MW: This is the scale-up achieved by Alps Blockchain’s project in Oman, which — following the successful completion of its initial phase — now enters a new stage of development. This growth represents a key strategic milestone in the company’s path towards international expansion, reaffirming its commitment to investing in high-efficiency infrastructure and in markets with strong growth potential.”
The company further added: “The second phase is now taking shape: with the arrival of new containerised units, the site has been significantly upgraded to support a much broader operational capacity of 150 MW, making it the largest in the country.”
According to the Italian firm, the Salalah mining facility benefits from optimal conditions for mining, notably competitive energy rates, favourable climate conditions and political stability.
“These factors significantly enhance the efficiency of cooling systems, ensuring consistently high levels of operational performance. This infrastructure confirms its status as a strategic asset within Alps Blockchain’s global portfolio and fully reflects the company’s vision: technological innovation, energy efficiency and scalable project development as drivers of international growth,” it added.
Under the terms of its license with the Omani government, hub developer Green Data City can invite international mining companies to register and operate within its Salalah hub as part of long-term arrangements.
In the first phase of the hub’s growth, total mining capacity is envisaged at around 200 MW, reaching 400 MW hyperscale data centre capacity in the second phase. Tenants will also benefit from natural cooling, renewable power and downstream applications in keeping with the hub’s commitment to sustainability.
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