Canadian Entrepreneur Seeks to Recycle Heat Generated by
Cryptocurrency MiningBruce Hardy, a Manitoba-based
entrepreneur, has sought to repurpose the heat produced by his
bitcoin mining rig to produce edible plants and fish that are
suited to the temperatures generated by cryptocurrency mining
equipment. Mr. Hardy owns and operates 30 mining rigs,
which are housed in a 20,000-square-foot building situated in
the Rural Municipality of St. Francois Xavier, Manitoba. The
heat produced by the miners is then circulated throughout the
building, and used to grow edible plants and fish.
Approximately 800 Arctic Char are raised in a large fish tank
located on the first floor of the building. The water that the fish
are raised becomes highly rich in nitrates – and thus comprises
an excellent plant fertilizer. With the press of a button, Mr.
Hardy is able to remotely pump the nitrate-rich water to feed
the lettuce, basil, and sprouted barley fodder which is grown
aquaponically on the floor above the fish. “It’s all connected,
much like Earth,” Mr. Hardy told local news. Mr. Hardy is also
the president of Myera Group – a company that seeks to
develop innovative and sustainable systems for food
production.
Mr. Hardy states that he has mined bitcoin for approximately
two years. After initially investing in large-scale air
conditioning to cool his mining rig, Mr. Hardy states that he
realized the heat produced by mining could be diverted to be
used for agricultural production. “When bitcoin came, they
were an excellent proxy for what a server could do in terms of
emulating heat, and whether we could use that heat for
agricultural purposes,” said Mr. Hardy.
The Reeve of the Rural Municipality of St. Francois Xavier,
Dwayne Clark, has spoken in support of Mr. Hardy’s project,
stating “From what we’ve seen so far, it looks like a popular
move for the community. It’s already cleaned up what used to
be an eyesore for a number of years.” Mr. Hardy also attested
to the benefits reaped by the local community through his
operations stating that “The revenue from those bitcoins has
helped me to keep staff on, it’s helped me create these displays
so we can show people what we’re doing in agriculture
innovation.”
Do you think that companies will seek to repurpose the heat
produced by cryptocurrency mining for food p