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LAYTON – In an innovative initiative to reduce the environmental impact of bitcoin mining, Marathon Digital (NASDAQ:) Holdings has partnered with Nodal Power to use landfill gas as an innovative energy source. The project, located at the Davis Landfill site in Layton, owned by the Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District, harnesses methane from the decomposition of organic waste to power bitcoin miners.
The pilot site, located near Hill Air Force Base, demonstrates the companies’ commitment to sustainability and profitability. By completely burning landfill gas to produce electricity, the site manages to destroy more methane per month than traditional flaring methods. This not only provides Marathon with its cheapest source of energy, but also significantly reduces annual CO2 emissions from mining.
This partnership between Marathon Digital Holdings and Nodal Power dates back to a previous off-grid project in Price, where they initially used to power a bitcoin mine. However, facing stiff competition from larger companies, Nodal Power decided to focus on reducing methane from landfills across the United States. Methane contributes significantly to global warming, accounting for 14.3% of all methane emissions in the country.
Despite Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on landfill gas collection and flaring, a 2022 study showed the conversion rate through flaring was only 91%. which contradicts the EPA’s claim of 99%. The project underway at the Davis Landfill not only challenges those numbers, it also improves the efficiency of methane destruction.
The success of this sustainable business encouraged Marathon Digital Holdings and Nodal Power to consider expanding their efforts. Their goal is to replicate this model in hundreds of landfills across the United States and around the world, particularly those without adequate infrastructure.
Utah is actively pursuing methane reduction efforts. An oil field near Moab stopped burning natural gas during production and began using it for bitcoin mining. Additionally, a facility in North Salt Lake converts food waste into natural gas and fertilizer. These initiatives are crucial given that Utah wasted approximately $48 million in natural gas in 2019, exacerbating air quality and climate problems.
As these two companies share revenue from their innovative project with location-agnostic Bitcoin miners, they demonstrate a viable path for integrating renewable energy solutions into cryptocurrency mining operations.
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