A Bitcoin mining company in the United States is turning to hazardous coal waste for cleaner energy.
Stronghold Digital Mining is converting harmful waste from coal mining into clean energy to power Bitcoin miners in an effort to make crypto mining more environmentally friendly.
Stronghold Digital Mining (SDIG), a Pennsylvania-based cryptocurrency mining company, is converting waste from old power plants into energy to power hundreds of Bitcoin mining rigs.
The company collects coal refuse, a byproduct of the coal mining process, and burns it in what it claims is an emissions-controlled environment at its energy generation facilities.
Coal refuse can cause a slew of environmental issues, including water and air pollution, as well as acid mine drainage, which is acidic water produced by coal mining operations. Collecting and safely disposing of this waste while generating power for crypto mining is a productive way of addressing the issue.
Pennsylvania is the third-largest coal producer in the United States, with estimates putting the amount of coal waste at 881 pounds per 2,200 pounds mined, or 400 kilograms per tonne. According to Stronghold, Pennsylvania alone has over 220 million tonnes of hazardous waste.
Bitcoin and other proof-of-work cryptocurrencies have recently piqued the interest of regulators due to their reliance on energy-intensive processes to mine and provide network validation.
Other schemes have looked for ways to make Bitcoin mining more environmentally friendly. ConocoPhillips, an oil drilling company, announced earlier this month that it would sell natural gas byproducts from its operations to Bitcoin miners rather than burning them.
Argo Blockchain, a crypto mining company based in the United Kingdom, announced in August that its operations had become “climate positive” in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Its proposed 200 MW mining facility in Texas will also use renewable energy.
