Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Bitcoin is being mined in El Salvador with green volcanic energy

Bitcoin is being mined in El Salvador with green volcanic energy

Of the 107 megawatts generated by the plant, five are used for the operation and mining of Bitcoin and the rest for the country's power grid.

Despite being a small country, El Salvador is home to 30 volcanoes, among which 20 are thought to be potentially active.

Geothermal energy generated by these volcanoes is a rich source, which is now being harnessed to mine Bitcoin in a new pilot project in the Central American country.

Bitcoin has been an official currency El Salvador since September with mixed reaction from its citizens.

How can you mine Bitcoin using volcanoes?


The city of Berlin, 112 km south of the capital city San Salvador, has a geothermal plant that was built in 1999. The plant is composed of 16 2,000 to 3,000 deep shafts from which steam circulates and makes three turbines function.

The energy generated by those turbines can reach up to 107 megawatts, but only five are used for the operation and mining of Bitcoin. The rest of the energy is used for the country’s grid.

Thanks to this energy source, about 300 computers can work day and night. Bitcoins are created using computers that solve complex mathematical problems and require a large amount of electricity to operate.


"We have a container where there are a series of processors that are currently working," said Gustavo Cuellar, technical manager of the Rio Lempa Hydroelectric Executive Commission (CEL), the state-owned company on which the plant depends.

"Structurally, renewable energy produces more than it sells," Sebastien Gouspillou, head of BigBlock Datacenter, said.

BigBlock Datacenter is a French bitcoin mining company that advised Salvador on the project.

"Mining is a crutch for renewable energy... a real boon" to use surplus electricity, the entrepreneur told AFP. He also pointed out that mining plants using geothermal energy have already been installed in Iceland.

An eco-geo-political innovation


"The mining industry is in a state of flux after China's crackdown in June," say researchers at Britain's Cambridge University in a recent study.

But for the time being "we lack data to establish how the redistribution of mining activity affects the energy mix of the global grid," the researchers note, estimating the energy consumption of miners at 0.4 per cent of global electricity production.

"We are not reducing the energy supply of El Salvador, on the contrary, we are increasing it, and from the amount that we have increased, we have taken these 1.5 megawatts to start this first step with mining,” Daniel Alvarez, president of for the Rio Lempa Hydroelectric Executive Commission (CEL), argued.

Since September 7, El Salvador has been using Bitcoin as an official currency on a par with the US dollar. In an industry that still relies heavily on polluting coal-fired power plants, the government is touting the use of clean energy for local mining.

Since the legalisation of the cryptocurrency in the country, some 3 million of the 6.7 million Salvadorans have downloaded the government-launched Chivo app for Bitcoin transactions, according to official data.

But the policy of 40-year-old president Bukele is also opposed by some Salvadorans who denounce an "authoritarian government" and "bad ideas that harm the economy, like Bitcoin".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×