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Malta Business Review CRYPTOCURRENCY Bitcoin mining uses less than 1% of UK electricity supply due to ‘Rip Off Britain’ pricing CRYPTOCURRENCY miners are not a major risk to Britain’s electricity infrastructure, says the National Grid. Blog site Coinlist.me has confirmed that despite fears, miners pose little threat to the country’s supply chain. And that high-tech capitalists making millions from mining are doing so in countries like Iceland because buying energy in Britain costs too much. This comes despite claims that the currency miners are causing ‘blackouts.’ Britain’s electricity network is unlikely to be brought to its knees despite claims of policy makers and activists that mining is so enormous it poses a threat. However, while there is no question the mining of currencies currently uses double the electricity consumption of Scotland from a global perspective; in reality the UK is facing next to no issues with the phenomenon. The revelation from National Grid comes after Bank of England Governor Mark Carney blasted consumption rates branding them “enormous” and called on regulation of the currencies which he described as ‘speculative mania’. His comments were made ahead of the G20 summit in Argentina where Mr Carney and other leading economists are to discuss regulation of the sector. He said: “The costs of Bitcoin mining are enormous. Its current annual electricity consumption is estimated by some to be up to 52 terawatt hours, double the electricity consumption of Scotland.” A spokeswoman for the National Grid revealed however that while the service operator is monitoring the rise of the phenomenon that “future growth” in the UK is not expected to be significant despite fears. The National Grid said: “At present, their mining is not a major contributor to demand in GB. “Any GB cryptocurrency demand would likely appear as a small component within the data centre element of our Industrial and Commercial electricity demand modelling (data centres themselves perhaps accounting for only around maybe 1% of total GB demand although data is limited). “Whilst cryptocurrency mining is clearly growing at a fast rate globally, the miners are likely to be most attracted to countries with the very lowest electricity prices and so future growth in GB is not currently expected to be significant. “However, whilst we have no immediate concerns in relation to GB electricity demand, it is an area that we actively monitor as part of our electricity demand modelling in our Future Energy Scenarios.” The news comes as the issue of mining is hot on the agenda in France where a company has invented a heater which pays for itself by mining coins. The Quarnot QC-1 is advertised as the world’s first crypto-heater, allowing consumers to mine cryptocurrencies and utilise the heat generated. David Merry, CEO of Investoo Group, which owns Coinlist.me and exchange Cryptogo. com said: “Crypto mining is huge in Iceland and in countries like China it is fast becoming a tool to make money for those able to do so. “Cost of electricity varies widely from country to country and while the UK is not the most significant in terms of cost in Europe, it’s certainly up there. People in Denmark, Germany and Belgium pay the most according to Eurostat but they are also charged huge tax levies. It certainly could be argued that our electricity supplies are more at risk of being affected by cybersecurity issues like hacking. Around 65% of UK business is concerned by cyber attacks on energy networks so mining really pales in comparison." <strong>MBR</strong> Credit Coinlist.me and CryptoGo 46
B2B EXPO Malta Business Review Ministry for the Economy holding Malta’s first Business to Business Expo T he Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses will be holding a business to business networking conference, entitled B2B Expo 2018. In t he conference’s launch Minister Cardona highlighted how this will be the first conference of its kind in Malta and it will serve as a platform to bring together local businesses to expand their network. The SME sector plays a vital role in the local economy, representing 98% of businesses in our country. “SMEs success and growth, is the success and growth of the nation. We have placed small business growth as a public priority. This government initiative will serve as an ideal forum for business owners to join entrepreneurs to develop their business strategies and optimize their existing resources,” said the Minister. Spread over one action packed day, the B2B Expo and Conference will bring together local and international expert speakers who will share insights and interact with the audience addressing topics such as Change, Growth and Innovation. The Expo will also give all those who attend access to over 100 business to business exhibitors spanning across different industries, Photo: DOI- Kevin Abela Photo: DOI- Kevin Abela and the chance to meet and network with over 1,000 delegates present throughout the day. The B2B Conference & Expo will be held at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali on Friday 1st June 2018 and registrations are open at www.b2bexpomalta.com. <strong>MBR</strong> Courtesy: Ministry for the economy, investment and small businesses www.maltabusinessreview.net 47
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