EP16: Building a $2.5B wind farm twice the size of NYC - Soluna
FUN FACT
At 37,000 acres, Soluna’s Wind Farm project is over two times the size of NYC!
FOUNDERS
John Belizaire
FLAGSHIP Project
LAUNCHED
2018
HQ
Southern Morocco
The Problem
It’s undeniable: Bitcoin’s energy footprint is a growing environmental problem. It’s been estimated the network uses nearly as much electricity as all of Ireland, with no slowing in site as the industry continues to grow.
The Solution
Soluna has acquired a 37,000-acre wind-farm site in southern Morocco that it says has the potential to host up to 900 megawatts of power-generating capacity.
Soluna, which has teamed with the German wind-power developer ALTUS AG, aims to build at least 100 megawatts of capacity by 2020 and complete the entire 900 megawatts in five years. The wind power will then supply low cost electricity to a high-density computing center for “mining” Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Episode Brief
John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna, joins Peter on this week’s episode to discuss:
Building a 37,000 acre wind farm
Their $200M "MVP"
Why Southern Morocco for site #1
The environmental footprint of bitcoin
The promise of blockchain
Lightning Round:
What’s your favorite podcast and why?
What’re your favorite mental models?
If you weren’t working on Soluna, what problem area would you be exploring?
Credits
HOST
Peter Levin
PRODUCTION
Dan Mahoney
MUSIC
Eddie Knuckles