Sustainable Bitcoin miner uses waste heat to dry wood
Norway is a bastion for renewable energy management in Europe. As much as 99% of Norway’s energy derives from hydropower while the grid often enjoys a green energy surplus.
But for Norway’s largest data center and Bitcoin (BTC) miner, Kryptovault, using regenerative hydropower to attempt to solve valid Bitcoin blocks was not enough.
At the Hønefoss Bitcoin mining operation, which employees have aptly named “the Cathedral” due to its vast and cavernous expanse, the hot air generated by Bitcoin mining rigs is recycled and used to dry out chopped logs.
Kjetil Hove Pettersen, CEO of Kryptovault, told Cointelegraph that Norway is an “ideal location for mining” and that alongside the log-drying operation, seaweed drying operations will kick off in the first half of 2022.
According to Pettersen, Norway has a lot of "trapped" energy, pointing out to a much higher production compared to consumption as well as a limited capacity to transfer the excess energy:
It would appear that the withdrawal of electricity subsidies from Bitcoin mining farms in 2018 has not affected the Scandinavian country’s status as a sought-after destination to mine cryptocurrency.
The Guardian newspaper, which typically asserts Bitcoin mining energy-FUD, flipped the narrative while reporting on Kryptovault’s operation. Their article considered “can Bitcoin be sustainable?”
Svein Bjerke, General Manager at the timber company that receives the dry logs, answers that question. In a video, Bjerke says that drying wood with waste heat from Bitcoin mining is the “most environmentally friendly way to do this.”
Moreover, the secondary benefits of Bitcoin mining branch out to more than the environment. Over time, Hønefoss grid customers are actually better off due to
Read more on cointelegraph.com
