If Greenpeace and Greta Thunberg are to be believed, then Bitcoin mining is a net negative in getting to net zero, as we boil the Oceans in exchange for magic internet money. Environmental advocates claim that Bitcoin’s sin is that it uses fossil fuels and encourages more usage through its demand for electricity.
And that a transition to greener Bitcoin mining operations would reduce their desire to glue themselves to pavements.
Even saltier Bitcoin detractors claim that even if Bitcoin moves over to green energy usage (which it has in many parts of the world), it’s still not enough and that electricity should be used for something more beneficial.
So I ask, what are those things?
I don’t know, and neither do they, and neither does the market. If there were better uses for that electricity, surely those other uses would outcompete Bitcoin by offering energy producers a higher premium for their electricity.
Since Bitcoin miner profits rely on securing cheaper energy, if another use case comes in and outbids the miner, it has no choice but to shut down and find a new, cheaper energy source.
But energy markets are not a monolith! Some energy is stranded, some energy doesn’t have a balance between supply and demand, and Bitcoin can come in and provide a base.
Some energy markets are new and require a buyer to bootstrap their launch, and the list goes on.
As of 2024, Bitcoin mining sources 54.5% of its energy consumption, now powered by renewable sources, according to the Bitcoin ESG Forecast, a research series by Daniel Batten, a co-founder of methane mitigation fund CH4 Capital.
Not half bad, solar, wind, hydro and natural gas have successfully performed a 51% attack on Bitcoin’s energy needs.
Going green was never going to please the climate crazies
The intersection of Bitcoin mining and environmental sustainability might have seemed unlikely before, but there’s one thing about Bitcoiners: they love a challenge and rise to any critique.
You don’t think Bitcoin is green enough, well, hold my beer!
When Bitcoin is mined, the process of proof of work generates a considerable amount of heat, heat that is wasted, but there’s a growing trend of repurposing it, from running greenhouses, drying wood, to heating hot tubs. The creative uses are starting to turn into marketable solutions.
A couple of innovative engineers are even exploring synergies between Bitcoin mining operations and water desalination processes. By harnessing the substantial heat waste generated by ASIC miners, we can create a dual-purpose system that secures the Bitcoin network while producing fresh water from seawater or brackish sources.
The Heat Connection: ASIC Miners and Desalination Temperatures
Bitcoin mining relies on specialised hardware called Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), which consume enormous amounts of electricity while performing the cryptographic calculations necessary to maintain the blockchain. These powerful machines generate significant heat as a byproduct—heat that is typically dissipated through cooling systems and essentially wasted.
Modern ASIC miners, such as the Antminer S19 Pro, operate at junction temperatures around 75-85°C (167-185°F) and exhaust air at temperatures ranging from 60-80°C (140-176°F). This heat output presents a unique opportunity when we consider the temperature requirements for water desalination processes.
Traditional thermal desalination methods, particularly Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) and Multi-Effect Distillation (MED), operate efficiently within surprisingly similar temperature ranges. MSF systems typically require input temperatures between 90-120°C (194-248°F), while MED systems can operate effectively with temperatures as low as 60-80°C (140-176°F). The overlap between ASIC waste heat output and desalination input requirements creates a compelling opportunity for integration.
Low-temperature thermal desalination processes are particularly well-suited for ASIC heat recovery.
These systems can produce fresh water with input temperatures starting around 60°C, making them ideal candidates for utilising Bitcoin mining waste heat. The efficiency of these processes increases with higher temperatures, but they remain viable even with the moderate heat levels produced by mining operations.
Technical Requirements for Heat Transfer Integration
Creating an effective heat transfer system between ASIC miners and desalination equipment requires careful engineering to maximise efficiency while maintaining optimal operating conditions for both systems. The primary challenge lies in effectively capturing, transferring, and utilising the thermal energy generated by the mining hardware.
Heat Capture and Collection Systems
The first step involves implementing efficient heat capture mechanisms. Traditional air-cooled ASIC setups can be modified with heat exchangers that capture thermal energy from the exhaust air. Alternatively, more advanced systems can utilise direct liquid cooling, where coolant circulates through the mining hardware, absorbing heat more efficiently than air cooling alone.
Closed-loop liquid cooling systems offer superior heat capture rates, potentially recovering 80-95% of the thermal energy produced by the miners. These systems typically use water or specialised coolants that circulate through cold plates attached directly to the ASIC chips, providing both superior cooling for the miners and more concentrated heat collection for the desalination process.
Heat Transfer and Storage Solutions
Once captured, the thermal energy must be effectively transferred to the desalination system. This requires insulated piping networks, circulation pumps, and potentially thermal storage systems to manage the continuous heat output from 24/7 mining operations.
Thermal storage systems, such as phase-change materials or insulated water tanks, can help balance the constant heat production from miners with the potentially variable demands of the desalination process. These systems ensure that thermal energy isn’t wasted during periods when desalination demand is lower than heat production.
Integration with Desalination Technologies
The most promising approach involves integrating ASIC heat with low-temperature Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) systems. These systems use the captured heat to evaporate seawater in the first effect, with subsequent effects operating at progressively lower pressures and temperatures. The vapour from each effect condenses to provide heat for the next stage, creating a highly efficient cascade process.
For optimal integration, the system requires precise temperature and flow control mechanisms. Heat exchangers must be sized appropriately to transfer sufficient thermal energy while maintaining the miners within their optimal operating temperature ranges. This typically involves balancing the heat removal rate to keep ASIC temperatures below 85°C while providing sufficient thermal input for effective desalination.
System Architecture and Performance Considerations
A well-designed Bitcoin-powered desalination system requires sophisticated control systems to manage the thermal balance between mining operations and water production. The architecture must account for variable mining loads, seasonal temperature changes, and fluctuating water demand.
Scalability and Modularity
The system should be designed with modularity in mind, allowing operators to scale both mining capacity and desalination output based on demand and profitability. Modular heat exchanger units can be added or removed as mining operations expand or contract, while desalination modules can be sized to match available thermal energy.
Efficiency Optimisation
Maximum system efficiency requires careful optimisation of both the mining and desalination processes. This includes maintaining optimal operating temperatures for ASIC miners while maximising heat recovery, optimising coolant flow rates, and implementing smart controls that balance mining performance with desalination output.
Advanced monitoring systems can track key performance indicators, including mining hash rates, power consumption, heat recovery efficiency, and fresh water production rates. This data enables real-time optimisation and predictive maintenance scheduling.
Subsidising Desalination
If the heat generated from Bitcoin mining isn’t enough to provide the heat required to complete the process, it’s not a total failure either. ASIC miners can provide assistance in part through maintaining a higher temperature of the water before it moves into the primary desalination process, while also generating income in Bitcoin to subsidise the plant and provide an alternative stream of income.
Economic and Environmental Benefits
The economic advantages of Bitcoin-powered desalination extend beyond simple cost savings. By monetising waste heat, mining operations can improve their overall profitability while providing valuable fresh water resources. This dual-revenue stream model makes mining operations more resilient to Bitcoin price volatility.
From an environmental perspective, the system addresses two critical challenges simultaneously: reducing the carbon footprint of Bitcoin mining by improving energy efficiency, and providing sustainable fresh water production in water-scarce regions. The improved efficiency of combined heat and power applications can reduce overall energy consumption per unit of useful output.
Future Prospects and Challenges
While this all sounds very exciting, and it’s all too tempting to throw in your local greenie’s face, Bitcoin mining isn’t going to provide us with additional drinking water tomorrow. This is very much in the theory phase, and those projects taking it on will teach us if this is a viable business and therefore an option to add to our drinkable water stock.
While the technical feasibility of Bitcoin-powered desalination can be demonstrated, several challenges remain for widespread implementation. These include the need for specialised heat exchanger designs, integration complexity, and the requirement for skilled technicians capable of managing both Bitcoin mining and desalination systems.
However, as water scarcity becomes increasingly critical globally and Bitcoin mining operations seek sustainable solutions, the convergence of these technologies represents a promising pathway toward more efficient and environmentally responsible infrastructure.
The future may see purpose-built facilities that optimise both Bitcoin mining and water production, potentially located in coastal areas where seawater is abundant and fresh water demand is high. These integrated systems could play a role in addressing both digital infrastructure needs and water security challenges in the coming decades.
If we are able to find a way to transform Bitcoin’s energy waste from a liability requiring cooling into an asset for water production, we can create systems that benefit both the modern digital economy and traditional economic activity, such as agriculture, not to mention improving general human welfare.
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