Mining leaves Abkhazia in darkness
Abkhazia faces its worst energy crisis in years amid critically low water levels at the Inguri hydropower plant and a lack of funds to purchase electricity from Russia.
Daytime electricity is available for just 4 hours and 40 minutes daily. Nighttime power is sustained by small, short-term electricity purchases from Russia, lasting two to three days each. The most recent purchase exhausted the region’s remaining budget.
Cryptocurrency mining is one of the key factors driving Abkhazia into its current energy crisis. Initially legalized by authorities, it later proved impossible to ban. Illegal mining has driven the region’s electricity consumption up by 50%.
Recently, a group of outraged women confronted Energy Minister Jansukh Nanba, expressing their dissatisfaction with his work.
JAMnews editor in Abkhazia/ “Chegemskaya pravda” editor Inal Khashig sees this as a sign that not only money and electricity but also public patience is running out in the region.
Commentary
Inal Khashig: “The money Abkhazia has spent this year alone on importing electricity from Russia could have been used to restore at least one of the three cascade hydropower plants on the Ingur River, significantly reducing the energy deficit.
However, the government had other plans for these facilities.
Whether they intended to allocate them for cryptocurrency mining or struggled to choose a tenant offering the smallest contribution to the state budget remains unclear. In such cases, the difference between the official and actual price would likely end up in the private pockets of officials.”
As a result, we are left with the consequences we have created and deserved.
The head of “Chernomorenergo” now states that cryptocurrency mining consumes 350 million kWh — more than half of the current electricity deficit. In other words, due to the authorities’ negligence, mining “steals” nine hours of energy consumption across the entire republic every day.
Without decisive action to combat illegal mining, Abkhazia risks plunging into total darkness.
Surely, information about all major mining farms is already available to law enforcement and energy officials. The next step is straightforward: shut them down.
- Abkhazia toughens fight against cryptomining
- Large crypto-mining farm discovered in Abkhazia; owner said to be “influential person”
If the heads of the Interior Ministry and State Security Service claim they know nothing about major cryptocurrency mining farms, it suggests some form of collusion. In either case, they must resign and make way for officials capable of shutting down these operations.
Simply shrugging their shoulders and feigning helplessness is no longer an option.”
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