To ease grid pressure, Kazakhstan plans to allow mining companies to use associated gas from oil fields to generate electricity for mining

Odaily News: Kazakhstan is pushing a new plan that would allow crypto mining companies to use associated gas generated during oil field extraction to produce their own electricity for crypto mining, in order to reduce the environmental impact of natural gas flaring, lower mining companies' electricity costs, and ease pressure on the national grid. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy said that about 40 to 60 oil fields currently have associated gas flaring; in 2024, about 300 million to 340 million cubic meters of associated petroleum gas were burned off, which, if converted into electricity, is expected to generate about 1.2 to 1.3 terawatt-hours of power. The Vice Minister of Kazakhstan's Ministry of AI and Digital Development said that relevant departments are formulating a legal framework to clarify the regulatory rules for this model. Previously, the country experienced tight electricity supply due to the rapid development of crypto mining and imposed restrictions on electricity use by mining companies.