According to Cointelegraph, a scientific paper titled "Integrated Landfill Gas-to-Energy and Bitcoin Mining Framework" was published in the Journal of Clean Production on August 29, showing how Bitcoin mining can reduce methane emissions.
The study details how Bitcoin miners can use a “landfill gas-to-energy” system to convert methane gas from landfills into usable energy, thereby reducing the harmful effects of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere.
The study states that Bitcoin mining has the right incentive structure to support such capital-intensive, long-term commitment projects, which other private enterprises find difficult to achieve due to the lack of sustainable revenue generation and cost recovery strategies.
Furthermore, the researchers note that this incentive structure is not limited to methane emissions but could also be used to recover underutilized energy in “isolated oil and gas wells, wastewater treatment plants, farms, and agricultural processing operations.”
In 2023, Marathon Digital partnered with Nodal Power to use methane gas for mining in Utah. Fred Thiel, chairman and CEO of the company, said they are constantly looking for innovative ways to diversify operations, reduce energy costs, and use the uniqueness of Bitcoin mining to improve the operating environment.
In May 2024, the company signed an agreement with the Kenyan government to develop the country's renewable energy infrastructure.
Previously, research from the Risk Management Institute found that Bitcoin mining operations could reduce global emissions by about 8% by 2030.
