Pakistan to use surplus electricity for Bitcoin mining, AI data centres

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will channel part of its surplus electricity into powering Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, a significant shift in energy and tech policy aimed at turning excess capacity into economic opportunity, according to a report from Reuters.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by Bilal Bin Saqib, head of Pakistan’s Crypto Council and adviser to the finance minister, who also noted that talks have been held with several mining firms. Pakistan’s energy sector has long struggled with structural challenges, including high electricity tariffs and chronic overcapacity. Utilizing the surplus for digital infrastructure is seen as a way to both modernize the economy and improve returns on energy investments.

The announcement comes just two days after the government appointed Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of Binance, as Pakistan’s new strategic advisor on crypto.