US-based Bitcoin mining company TeraWulf has commissioned a new crypto mining facility in Pennsylvania, running solely on site-generated nuclear power.
March 6 statementTeraWulf said the Nautilus Cryptomine facility is its first “behind-meter” Bitcoin (BTC) mining facility, which refers to using power directly at the generation site without traveling through the grid.
It’s official…
The first nuclear powered mining facility in the US is in the process of being crushed!!! $WULF https://t.co/tLndh2bKOz@BitcoinMagazine @BTCTN @keremkaradagcom @crypto @decryptmedia @benzingacrypto @BTC_Archive—TeraWulf (@TeraWulfInc) March 6, 2023
The Nautilus Cryptomine draws carbon-free baseload power directly from the on-site 2.5 gigawatt (GW) Susquehanna Nuclear Generating Station.
Paul Prager, president and CEO of TeraWulf, claims the Nautilus mining facility now has “arguably the lowest cost power in the industry, just $0.02/kWh over a five-year period.”
The company also revealed that it has now brought nearly 8,000 mining rigs online representing a computing power, or hash rate, of 1.0 exahashes per second (EH/s), with plans for another 8,000 miners in May, increasing the hash rate at 1.9 EH/s. .
TeraWulf has a 50 megawatt (MW) stake in phase one of the new facility, a joint venture with Cumulus Coin, but may add an additional 50 MW of BTC mining capacity in future phases.
According to TeraWulf websiteNautilus Cryptomine is expected to reach 300 MW when complete and will be among the largest mines in North America.
First Announced As of August 2021, the Nautilus Cryptomine facility is the result of a partnership between the subsidiary of the TeraWulf nuclear mining facility and power generation and infrastructure company Talen Energy Corporation.
Phase 1 of the joint venture included the 180 MW “Nautilus Cryptomine” built on the Talen digital infrastructure campus adjacent to its nuclear power generating station.
TeraWulf generates domestically produced BTC with nuclear, hydro, and solar power with the goal of using 100% carbon-free energy.
Related: US Lawmakers Renew Call for EPA to Investigate Crypto Mining Emissions Data
Concerns about the potential environmental impacts of BTC mining have risen in recent years with heated debates about the environmental and energy impact surrounding crypto asset mining.
Last year, New York signed a two-year moratorium barring new fossil fuel-powered Bitcoin miners from setting up shop in the state.
While in October 2022, Europe also moved towards regulatory action on the alleged environmental impact of cryptocurrencies.
