Bitcoin Made In France? Normandy Could Host Its First Mining Farm

Normandy could soon host the first bitcoin mining farm in France, financed by the Sultanate of Oman. This unique project, at the intersection of energy, technological, and geopolitical challenges, crystallizes French ambitions in the digital economy. At a time when energy sovereignty is becoming central, this initiative raises questions about the role France wants to occupy in the global crypto ecosystem.

Normandy, a new ground for bitcoin mining

During a public address, Hervé Morin, president of the Normandy region, confirmed advanced discussions with the Sultanate of Oman regarding a bitcoin mining farm project:

We are working with the Sultanate of Oman on the establishment of a bitcoin mining farm.

The announcement marks a first for France, where no industrial infrastructure of this scale has yet emerged in the mining sector.

The project is part of a broader diplomatic and economic framework. Indeed, the sultanate seeks to strengthen its presence in the global bitcoin ecosystem, after similar investments in the United States through Exahertz.

Normandy offers a favorable logistical and energy environment, which could make a difference compared to other potential candidates:

• Cheap energy and low carbon footprint: the region is powered by the EPR at Flamanville and will benefit from the future nuclear power plant at Penly, ensuring stable and decarbonized energy supply.
• A temperate climate: weather conditions limit the cooling needs of machines, reducing operating costs.
• Proximity to industrial infrastructures: an asset in terms of logistics, electrical connections, and access to specialized technical services.
• A local political openness: Hervé Morin has publicly expressed his support for the project. Moreover, the institutional environment is conducive to innovation.

These combined factors place Normandy in a strategic position to become a bitcoin mining hub in Europe, provided that negotiations succeed and administrative approvals follow.

Towards an industrial structuring of mining in France?

Hervé Morin did not merely mention a theoretical possibility. “I believe this will happen,” he stated. These remarks suggest that discussions with the Sultanate of Oman are well progressed.

This assurance implies that the stakes go beyond simple experimentation. It would be a structuring project, likely laying the groundwork for an industrial mining sector on French soil.

Until now, crypto mining has remained marginal in France, primarily limited to individual or semi-professional initiatives, hindered by the cost of electricity and a still unclear regulatory framework.

The involvement of a foreign state, namely Oman, changes the game. The sultanate has already invested in mining in the United States, notably through Exahertz. Its strategy seems to fit into a global geo-economic logic: to capitalize on expertise gained abroad to assert itself as a key player in the global blockchain infrastructure.

France could thus become a European relay for this strategy, aiming to benefit from technological and economic returns, provided that the project fits into a clear regulatory framework.

This project, however, raises several questions: what will be the governance of such a farm? What guarantees will be in place regarding transparency and energy security? And how will this initiative be perceived by French and European authorities at a time when the European Green Deal pushes for digital sobriety? If the project comes to fruition, it could very well trigger a reconfiguration of the French approach to cryptos, forcing institutions and companies to reconsider their position on industrial-scale mining. Will France be able to transform this opportunity into a lever for innovation and technological sovereignty?