AgriFORCE Growing Systems Ltd., a Canadian agricultural company, has made a groundbreaking move by launching a Bitcoin mining operation in Alberta, powered by stranded natural gas.
In a recent announcement on June 17, AgriFORCE revealed that the mining site in Berwyn, Alberta, is a result of a partnership with energy provider BlueFlare Energy. This marks the company’s first operational deployment under its Power & Compute Initiative, utilizing 425 kilowatts (kW) of power to support 120 Bitmain S21 ASIC miners, generating over 32 petahashes per second (PH/s) of computing power.
The Berwyn facility boasts a custom-engineered mining pod with advanced airflow and thermal controls, along with BlueFlare’s proprietary telemetry system for performance monitoring. Notably, the site is powered solely by stranded natural gas, unavailable for traditional sale or access. Furthermore, it features BlueFlare’s emissions tracking system, Carbon Cube, ensuring environmental compliance and real-time monitoring.
Phase 2 of the project is already in progress, aiming to increase the site’s capacity by an additional 200 kW, bringing the total power to over 625 kW. AgriFORCE has successfully mined seven Bitcoin across its Alberta and Ohio operations, valued at approximately $735,000. The company plans to retain up to 50% of the mined BTC in its corporate treasury, allocating the rest towards infrastructure expansion.
AgriFORCE also intends to allocate a significant portion of its capital raised towards direct Bitcoin purchases as part of its treasury strategy. Alongside the Berwyn site, the company has signed a binding letter of intent with BlueFlare to deploy two more sites in Alberta, located in Oyen and Hinton. These sites will mirror the Berwyn model and include modular, off-grid gas-to-power units rated at around 640 kW, supporting various workloads beyond Bitcoin mining.
The company’s ambitious goal is to scale its operational capacity to over 0.5 exahashes per second (EH/s) by Q4 of 2025, with a long-term target of reaching 1 EH/s by Q1 of 2026. As the energy-intensive nature of Bitcoin mining continues to draw attention, operators are actively seeking alternative power sources to reduce costs and enhance sustainability. Recent trends show a shift away from coal-based energy sources, with miners increasingly adopting renewable energy solutions at a 5.8% annual growth rate.
Globally, initiatives are emerging to promote more sustainable mining practices. For instance, United States Senator Ted Cruz introduced the FLARE Act earlier this year, offering tax incentives for crypto miners using flared natural gas to power operations. This legislation proposes 100% expensing for systems that convert wasted gas into electricity or computational power.
Similarly, Pakistan has announced plans to allocate 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity to Bitcoin mining and AI data centers, aligning with a broader national strategy to curb energy wastage and attract tech investment. AgriFORCE’s innovative approach to Bitcoin mining in Alberta sets a precedent for sustainable and efficient mining practices in the industry.