London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×