Pakistan Taps into Surplus Energy for Bitcoin Mining and AI Data Centers
The Pakistani government plans to utilize the national electricity surplus for Bitcoin mining activities and the operation of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.
This initiative was announced by Bilal Bin Saqib, Chairman of the Pakistan Crypto Council and advisor to the Finance Minister.
Addressing Challenges in the Energy Sector
According to information from Coinvestasi, Pakistan’s energy sector is facing challenges such as high electricity tariffs and excess production capacity.
The increased adoption of solar energy by consumers to reduce costs has also led to a decline in electricity consumption from the national grid.
To tackle this issue, the government plans to allocate surplus electricity to productive activities such as crypto mining and the operation of AI data centers.
Site Selection Based on Energy Availability
The mining centers will be located in areas with electricity oversupply.
Several provinces consistently have energy surpluses, making it possible to utilize the excess without straining the national power system.
The government is in discussions with several mining companies regarding infrastructure, energy purchasing schemes, and compliance with technical protocols.
Changpeng Zhao’s Role in the Pakistan Crypto Council
Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, has been appointed as a strategic advisor to the Pakistan Crypto Council.
His role includes supporting blockchain infrastructure development, establishing regulatory frameworks, and implementing national crypto initiatives.
This appointment aims to strengthen the blockchain and crypto ecosystem in Pakistan.
Boosting the Digital Economy and Talent Development
Pakistan has around 15 to 20 million crypto users and is the third-largest freelance economy in the world.
The government aims to position blockchain and AI sectors as pillars of digital economic growth.
Concrete steps include training programs for youth in blockchain, decentralized finance (DeFi), and AI modeling, with the goal of producing digital talent to meet domestic industry needs and export tech services to global markets.
