Soluna Technologies is now called Harmattan Energy. The company was renamed after Mechanical Technology, Inc. (MTI) acquired Soluna Computing, a spin-out focused on eliminating wasted renewable energy using sustainable computing, to become Soluna Holdings.
“Harmattan inspired our entire business model for Soluna, and it will be an important proving ground as the first-of-its-kind, vertically integrated wind, and blockchain computing project,” John Belizaire, chief executive officer of Soluna Computing, said. “This project has the potential to be the largest in Africa, taking advantage of an enormous wind resource. Our business model of renewable energy development paired with sustainable computing can unlock economic opportunity across the continent.”
Named after the easterly trade winds of West Africa, Harmattan will continue developing the wind farm on over 10,000 hectares including on-site data centres that use renewable energy to power blockchain computing. The company will generate clean energy for high-intensity, batchable computing processes. This business model is solving two growing problems. First, it creates a beneficial use for curtailed, or wasted renewable energy. Second, it provides a pathway to make energy-intensive computing more sustainable.
Harmattan Energy will continue with previously conceived plans through its subsidiary A.M Wind, SARL to develop a Center of Excellence, create jobs, and partner with local stakeholders that include government, local organisations, and utility partners in Morocco.
