By Susie Violet Ward · Forbes · 18 April 2024
In 2024, OceanBit was developing ocean thermal energy conversion, which uses the temperature difference between warm surface water and cold deep water to generate steady, baseload power, and planned to pair it with bitcoin mining to use surplus energy and improve project economics. The concept dates back a century but was sidelined in the 1980s. Daniel Batten of CH4 Capital said mining lets developers monetise power on the sea barge, making research and development viable.
Kent Halliburton, CEO of Sazmining, described mining at Paraguay’s Itaipu Dam, one of the world’s largest hydroelectric projects, using energy that had previously gone to waste. He argued that mining can help regions rich in natural resources but too sparsely populated to justify infrastructure projects, and that the incentives for miners, customers and local economies are aligned.