INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Salvadoran government in September began harnessing geothermal energy for bitcoinminingEl Salvador's unfolding experiment as a
first-adopter of the crytocurrency bitcoin could be increasingly powered by new streams of renewable energy, the chief of the country's
hydroelectric commission told reporters on Friday.Energy-intensive cryptocurrency "mining" is done by computers, and has come under
criticism from environmentalists as a big source of demand for mostly fossil fuel derived electricity.Last month, El Salvador became the
first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender alongside the U.Sdollar, which for years had served as the country's sole official currency
Daniel Alvarez, president of the state-run Lempa River Hydroelectric Executive Commission (CEL), said El Salvador has the potential to
generate electricity through hydroelectric, solar, wind and tidal power projects"The possibilities are endless here, it's just about
willpower and that we have the means and the ability to start these projects," Alvarez said
The Salvadoran government in September began harnessing geothermal energy for bitcoin mining from a plant at the base of the Tecapa volcano,
106 kilometers (66 miles) east of the capital, that is owned by a company which is part of CELThe plant generates about 102 megawatts, and
the government plans to add another five megawatts next yearAt present, 1.5 megawatts are being allocated for bitcoin
Alongside the plant, officials have set up a room inside a shipping container to house 300 computers that process cryptocurrency
transactionsThe Tecapa plant along with another geothermal plant in northwestern El Salvador supply between 23 per cent and 24 per cent of
the national power grid, according to authorities
