Kazakhstan Plans to Use Associated Gas to Revive Crypto Mining, Offering Up to 1.3 TWh of Power

Odaily News: The Kazakh government is pushing to use associated gas to power cryptocurrency mining in order to revive the mining industry that has been affected by power restrictions. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree in July requiring the development of mechanisms for companies to use associated gas for digital mining.

Daniyar Mubarakov, head of the Blockchain and Digital Mining Association, said that Kazakhstan's total associated gas could be converted into 1.2 to 1.3 TWh of electricity, enough to support the construction of medium or large data centers or Bitcoin mining farms at some oil fields.

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy estimates that up to 60 oil fields in the country produce associated gas. Oil companies can sell waste gas to miners, reducing millions of dollars in disposal costs, while miners can lock in multi-year power prices and reduce their reliance on grid electricity.

The Kazakh government is developing a relevant legal framework to clarify operating rules for companies and regulate the market. Gizzat Baitursynov, Vice Minister of AI and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, said the mechanism will increase government tax revenue and improve the environment. (Bitcoin.com News)