Natural Gas Demand Surges Among Bitcoin Miners And AI Centers

According to Cointelegraph, the demand for natural gas is rising significantly among Bitcoin mining companies and AI data center operators. Mohamed El-Masri, managing partner at Hodler Investments and CEO of the tokenized energy trading platform PermianChain, highlighted the potential of recapturing energy from gas flaring, estimating it as a $16 billion opportunity. El-Masri explained that converting natural gas from gas flaring, a form of stranded energy, into usable energy for mining operations and high-performance computing could meet much of the current demand. He noted that 147 billion cubic meters of natural gas are flared annually worldwide, which could translate into $16 billion in potential sales revenue if sold in the market. Bitcoin mining, he added, has the potential to increase the gas valuation significantly, emphasizing the role of crypto mining and asset tokenization in promoting sustainability. Bitcoin mining is seen as a more efficient method for mitigating gas flaring compared to other emission-limiting techniques. This process unlocks stranded energy and renewables, providing a cost-effective energy source for miners. With the increasing hashrate and computing difficulty, Bitcoin miners are continually seeking novel and underutilized energy forms to power their operations economically and maintain competitiveness. In May, mining company MARA, previously known as Marathon Digital Holdings, partnered with the Kenyan government to advance the country's renewable energy sector. The International Trade Administration reports that geothermal and hydroelectric power constitute 41% and 30% of Kenya's renewable energy sources, respectively. A peer-reviewed scientific paper published in August titled 'An Integrated Landfill Gas-to-Energy and Bitcoin Mining Framework' explored how Bitcoin mining can transform stranded energy into economic value. The paper suggested that Bitcoin miners could utilize landfill-gas-to-energy systems to convert methane gas into electricity for their operations, thereby sequestering harmful gas from the atmosphere and providing a low-cost energy source. Additionally, the conversion of stranded energy by miners can have reverse applications. In June 2022, MARA announced it was using excess recycled heat from its Bitcoin mining facility to heat an entire town in Finland, demonstrating the diverse applications of energy conversion in the mining industry.