In terms of emergency, already operating electricity cuts to limit consumption, the country now seeks to exclude the very energy-efficient practice of mining.
Le Monde
Kosovo has decided to prohibit the mingling of cryptomonnays on its territory. The announcement, made Tuesday, January 4 by the Minister of Economy and Energy, Artane Rizvanolli, cited by the Reuters agency , comes in response to the serious problems of scarcity of electricity facing the country is currently facing.
Cryptomonnaires mining consists of the resolution by powerful computers – and therefore very energy – more complex equations for verifying and validating transactions made of cryptomonnays, for example in bitcoins. With its low energy prices, Kosovo has become in recent years a place of choice to carry out these operations. A minor interviewed by Reuters tells that he earned about 2,400 euros per month through this activity, for about 170 euros spent in electricity over the same period.
The situation has changed, however, since the country faces a serious energy crisis with multiple origins: the technical problems that have forced the country’s largest power plant to close in December adds the overall rise in market prices. energy, fueled by lower supplies from Russia and the rise in demand for natural gas. In Kosovo, electricity generation is essentially based on lignite combustion, a very polluting coal, and remains insufficient in winter to heat the housing of its 1.8 million inhabitants. The country imports in this period 40% of the electricity consumed.
On December 23, the National Energy Company Keds, which has the monopoly of the electricity distribution, decided to put in place alternative cuts of two hours throughout the country in the context of “a plan of Emergency to limit consumption “. Six days later, the authorities declared the state of emergency, giving the government the opportunity to make more restrictions. Electricity cuts have triggered events as well as calls for resignation of M me ricevanolli.