Bitmain’s ongoing project at the former Alcoa Rockdale Operations smelter continued to be a topic of conversation this week.
The Chinese-based company was discussed at Monday’s county commissioners and Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) meetings.
Bottom line remains the same as reported in the Jan. 17 Reporter. Bitmain will move ahead with its Rock-dale plans.
In fact, 180,000 “antminer” machines, which will allow the “miners” to coax blockchain bitcoin certifications from cyberspace are being installed in buildings which once housed four of the six Alcoa potlines.
And the first 12 Bitmain employees are being hired with detailed position qualifications to be posted soon by Workforce Solutions of Central Texas.
Actual mining is forecast to start in late spring or early summer.
$20-MILLION—County Judge Steve Young said he met with Bitmain executives Thursday, who noted the company has already spent $20-million at its “Rock-dale Mining Farm Site” and plans to spend an additional $8-million.
In January, when some believed the Rockdale project was being shelved, Kelly Ballew, local Bitmain facility manager, told The Reporter “Bitmain simply is not going to walk away from that kind of investment.”
JOBS—While initial employment forecasts of 400 don’t look to be feasible, the company is hiring about an initial dozen persons with others anticipated in upcoming months, according to Julia Cardona at Workforce Solutions.
“We are going to have specifications and qualifications posted soon so people will know what the jobs involve,” Cardona said.
She said additional job postings were anticipated as the project moves along.
Those interested can contact Workforce Solutions at 512-446-6440.
The initial thrust of Bit-main’s Rockdale Mining Farm Site will be to “mine” bitcoins, a cryptocurrency which has been gaining more mainstream acceptance in recent months.
Dr. John M. Weed III, MDD president, told that board Monday in the long run Bitmain’s blockchain technology could develop into “something big.”
He also noted the fall in price of bitcoins in recent months.
That market, plus struggles to get the company a public stock exchange listing, led to reports late last year of Bitmain abandoning its Rockdale project.
Ballew, however told The Reporter that was never the case and, while there were local layoffs, there was never a work stoppage at the former Alcoa site and Bitmain remains committed.
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