The government of Kosovo has stopped crypto mining in the country due to the lack of electricity during the winter season.
According to a report by local outlet Gazeta Express, the Minister of Economy of Kosovo, Artane Rizvanoli, has decided to stop crypto mining following a recommendation by the Technical Committee on “Emergency Measures for Energy Supply”.
The government made the decision after Kosovo’s power supply fell below set levels, and began cutting power during peak usage periods, the report said.
According to Rizwanoli, the government decided to set up a technical committee to evaluate emergency energy supply strategies in response to the situation. Based on the committee’s recommendations last week, the government decided to take emergency measures, including stopping crypto mining within Kosovo’s borders.
The report states that law enforcement agencies are ready to take steps to stop the production of cryptocurrencies, and work to identify locations where such operations take place. The minister said:
“These actions are intended to address potential unforeseen or long-term shortages of electricity generation capacity, transmission or distribution of energy to address the energy crisis without further burdening the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo.”
As a result of low domestic production and exorbitant energy import tariffs, Kosovo’s energy distribution firm KEDS announced that power cuts would be implemented across the country on 22 December. Bitcoin mining is known to consume a lot of electricity, with a recent report claiming that bitcoin consumes eight times more energy than Google and Facebook.
In recent months, several countries have expressed concern about mining-related power cuts, including Iran and Kazakhstan.
related: Iran halts electricity exports due to crypto mining and extreme heat
Meanwhile, retail cryptocurrency mining is booming in Thailand following the capitulation of Chinese miners due to the country’s cryptocurrency ban announced in September. As reported by Cointelegraph, Thai entrepreneurs and cryptocurrency ventures are taking advantage of Chinese miners getting rid of their mining equipment.
