Wed 29 December 2021:
According to Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, director of the state-run Iran Grid Management Co. and a spokesman for Iran’s power industry, Iran has ordered the shutdown of authorized cryptocurrency mining centers for the second time this year as part of efforts to ease the strain on the country’s power plants and avoid blackouts.
“The Energy Ministry has been implementing measures since last month to reduce the use of liquid fuels in power plants, including cutting licensed crypto farms’ power supply, turning off lampposts in less risky areas, and stringent supervision of consumption,” he said.
In an interview with state television, Rajabi Mashhadi said that the ban, which will last until March 6, will free up 209 megawatts of power for household consumption. He added that authorities are cracking down on illegal mining by individuals at home as well as larger-scale industrial units.
These unlicensed operators consume more than 600 megawatts of electricity, accounting for the majority of crypto mining in the country.
Turning off street lights in some areas and regulating electricity consumption in offices are two other ways to save energy. The government expects 60 percent more electricity production in the summer, according to Rajabi Mashhadi.
Iran temporarily banned crypto mining earlier this year, following a series of blackouts across major cities blamed in part on an increase in the energy-intensive process. While China had long been the center of crypto mining, that changed this year when a nationwide ban sent operators to other countries, particularly those with cheap power.
As a result, power grids have been put under strain, prompting countries ranging from Iceland to Kazakhstan to impose restrictions on the industry.
According to a National Iranian Gas Co. statement last week, Iran’s daily gas demand in the household sector reached an all-time high of 570 million cubic meters per day, while the country’s natural gas production was “maxed out” at 800 million cubic meters per day. Due to the high demand, the supply of electricity to industrial units has been reduced.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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