North Vancouver to be World's First City heated by Bitcoin

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of North Vancouver, British Columbia, runs on a hydronic district energy system that delivers heat to 100 residential and commercial buildings. Lonsdale Energy Corporation (LEC), the award-winning district energy utility wholly owned by the City, is on a decarbonization journey to implement more renewable and clean energy, transitioning from the use of conventional natural gas. The buildings sector presently accounts for 40% of carbon emissions in urban areas, but district energy creates an opportunity to reduce the urban carbon footprint through the integration of innovative new technologies.

In 2022, the City and LEC will be introducing a novel heat source to their district energy system: bitcoin mining. Over the term of the engagement, MintGreen's Digital Boilers will prevent 20,000 tonnes of GHGs from entering the atmosphere per MW compared to natural gas. Production of both bitcoin and usable thermal energy positions the Digital Boilers to be the cost leading low-carbon heating technology.

MintGreen, a Canadian cleantech cryptocurrency miner, is disrupting the bitcoin mining industry. Their proprietary Digital Boilers recover more than 96% of the electricity used for bitcoin mining in the form of heat energy that can be used to sustainably heat communities and service industrial processes. Cryptocurrency miners run at full capacity 365 days a year, which creates the unique opportunity to provide a reliable and clean heating baseload for North Vancouver's district energy system. Lonsdale Energy Corporation CEO, Karsten Veng, commented "Being partners with MintGreen on this project is very exciting for LEC, in that it's an innovative and cost competitive project, and it reinforces the journey LEC is on to support the City's ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets."

District energy as a whole is trending towards clean energy. The 2015 report "District Energy in Cities" by the UN Environment Programme cites: "District energy systems [are emerging] as a best practice approach for providing a local, affordable and low-carbon energy supply. District energy represents a significant opportunity for cities to move towards climate-resilient, resource-efficient and low-carbon pathways." The UN Climate Report released on August 9, 2021, warns of 'extreme' impacts of climate change to come and is urging policy makers to take action. Cities around the world are tightening carbon regulations and increasing carbon taxation. In 2019, the City of North Vancouver Council passed a motion for the City to increase its greenhouse gas reduction targets to achieve net zero by 2050, and reduce emissions by 80% below 2007 levels by 2040. Further, Canada has proposed a $170 per tonne carbon tax coming into effect in 2029 that will drive up the recurring cost of conventional natural gas.

"The complex issue of climate change requires innovative solutions, and LEC, with the City of North Vancouver, is showing tremendous leadership in environmental stewardship," said MintGreen CEO, Colin Sullivan. Over 97% of BC Hydro's energy mix is hydroelectric. Using that energy twice both eliminates waste and makes this project one of the greenest in the space. Veng believes that the MintGreen Digital Boiler pilot could be the launchpad for future expansion opportunities as the City of North Vancouver continues to grow.

Press Contact
Jennifer Zee
[email protected] | 778-892-3188

About Lonsdale Energy Corporation
The Lonsdale Energy Corporation (LEC) is an award winning district energy system. LEC has been providing dependable, clean, and competitively priced energy to residential and commercial buildings in the Lonsdale area since 2003. By heating our community naturally, we can significantly reduce the demand for energy and support global and local climate action efforts.

About MintGreen
MintGreen is a Canadian clean tech company that recovers heat from Bitcoin mining to produce saleable low carbon heat for communities and industrial processes. MintGreen's proprietary Digital Boilers are the cost leading low carbon heating technology. By signing offtake agreements, MintGreen subsidizes its power costs, mines Bitcoin sustainably, and lowers GHG emissions for cities and communities.

SOURCE MintGreen