KenGen, which generates most of its power from renewables, said miners have been reaching out about buying its energy.
The plan is to have miners set up in an energy park at the company’s main geothermal power station in Olkaria, Naivasha, 123 km from the capital Nairobi.
Kenya is Africa’s top geothermal energy producer with an installed capacity of 863 MW, most of which is supplied by KenGen.
Overall, 80% of KenGen’s power generation comes from renewable sources, including hydro and wind in addition to geothermal, but the company does not disclose its excess power capacity.
Bitcoin production consumes 204.50 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, comparable to the power consumption of Thailand, and is estimated to generate between 22 and 22.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
Ether, the second largest cryptocurrency, uses as much electricity as the Netherlands.
KenGen says by offering clean energy, it will contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions caused by bitcoin mining.