In response, Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade called into question Tavanir’s assertions that illegal mining activities consume 2,000 megawatts of electricity every year.
Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade has reportedly refuted accusations made by Iran’s largest power firm Tavanir, which claimed that unlicensed bitcoin miners were to blame for the country’s persistent power shortages.
According to a story in the Financial Tribune, Alireza Hadi, the ministry’s director of investment and planning, stated that the figures published by Tavanir “appear to be highly exaggerated.”
Tavanir, on the other hand, claimed that the figures were accurate. The assertions of Tavanir, that illegal mining consumes 2,000 megawatts of electricity, were called into question by Hadi. “This amount would be equivalent to the amount of power consumed by 3 million pieces of hardware,” he explained.
Despite the fact that cryptocurrency mining has been permitted by the Iranian government, Tavanir believes that unregistered miners are to responsible for widespread power shortages. Tavanir spokeswoman Rajabi Mashhadi stated the following in August 2021:
“Unauthorized miners are the main culprits behind the power outages in recent months. We would have had 80% less blackouts if miners had halted their activities.”
As part of the operation, Tavanir claims to have shut down operations for over 5,000 mining farms and confiscated 213,000 pieces of unlicensed mining equipment with a combined power consumption capacity of 850 megawatts.
Iranian officials have permitted 56 mining fields so far, according to Tanavir’s estimates. These mines collectively utilize 400 megawatts of electricity, according to Tanavir. A total of 126,000 pieces of mining equipment were authorized and registered by the ministry in 2020, with each piece consuming a total of 195 megawatts when operated fully.
Whistleblowers assisted Tavanir in shutting down 1,100 crypto mining farms that were allegedly operating without necessary licenses last year, according to reports.
A reward of 100 million rials ($480) has been offered to Iranian individuals who assist the police in tracking out illicit miners. Iranian officials have reminded cryptocurrency miners that they must register their businesses and equipment by the end of 2020, despite the fact that Iran has permitted registered businesses to perform mining operations.
