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'We are working with the electricity generator, and they're trying to keep the price of electricity affordable, and all their employees are also community members, ensure employment in all fields, from safety to operations to lineworkers.It's always incredible for me to see how helpful and valuable the mini-grids are to the community. The company behind the project, without network, shared that there are now "1600 families connected to this mini remote hydroelectric network in the mountains of South Malawi.”
1600 families connected to this remote hydro minigrid in the mountains of southern Malawi. They got 50kw of failed energy that we're testing as a new bitcoin extraction site.
They have 50kW of failed power that we are testing as a new Bitcoin mining site.
Still working on venting, wiring, etc. pic.twitter.com/Sxf8ABGPWH
— Gridless (@GridlessCompute) January 21, 2023
Ventilation, wiring, etc. are still being worked on peak.twitter.com/Sxf8ABGPWH - Gridless (@GridlessCompute) on January 21, 2023. The project leverages 50 kilowatts (kW) of failed power to test as a new Bitcoin mining site.”
“The power developer had built these powerhouses a few years ago, but they weren’t able to expand to more families because they’re barely profitable and couldn’t afford to buy more meters to connect more families. The developer built these plants a couple of years ago.
Bitcoin miners are flexible but energy-hungry clients. They are a hook-up and play solution for surplus energy sources worldwide. In Malawi, miners are harnessing environmentally friendly hydroelectric power.
The installation is based on hydro electricity.
“The environmental footprint is quite light as it is run off a river. According to Hersman:
Our environmental footprint is rather small because it comes from a river. Late last year, a mining project in Kenya connected a remote community using excess hydropower.
Street vendors all over Malawi. Hersman explained that electricity load shedding is common in Malawi, but the 1600 families using the hydropower source do not have any power issues:
With the exception of the environment, the Bitcoin mine brings economic empowerment and employment opportunities to Malawi. The 1600 families using the hydroelectric source do not have electricity problems: "it is always amazing to me to see how useful and valuable mini-grids are for the community.”
1600 families using the hydroelectric source have no power problems:"
It [Bitcoin mining] immediately changes the education, health care, business, logistics and richness of the community they go to." Obi Nwosu, Fedimint's CEO and a Gridless board advisor also brought the story to light, explain that the project in 'Malawi is one more in line with what I expect will be many examples in the years ahead.
Bitcoin miners tapping into stranded energy while empowering local communities is a growing trend in 2023. From El Salvador’s promise of geothermal Bitcoin mining to balancing the grid load and sustaining jobs for local communities in Canada– there is a “Torrent of opportunities coming their way,” Nwosu explains.
Related: Seven times Bitcoin miners made the world a better place
Michael Saylor has described Bitcoin mining as “the ideal high-tech industry to put in a nation that has plenty of clean energy but isn’t able to export a product or produce a service with that energy.” Bitcoin miners leveraging failed energy while enabling local communities is an increasing trend in 2023.
This is a detailed project summary for Malawi. Hersman sums it up: “We work with the power producer, and they work to keep the power price affordable and all of their employees are from the community too, providing jobs for everything from security to linesmen to operations.”
